BREAKING: Court Halts INEC Again from Releasing Voter Register to Rivers Electoral Commission
- Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has once again halted INEC from providing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC)
- The court criticized RSIEC for failing to publish the mandatory 90-day notice before setting the election date
- Justice Lifu ordered INEC, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the DSS to refrain from releasing the voters’ register or providing security for the elections
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has once again halted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the upcoming local government elections.
The elections were scheduled to take place on October 5, 2024.
High Court stops INEC from release voters’ data in Rivers
Photo credit: @NigerianstoriesSource: Twitter
TheTalk.NG recalls that this latest ruling builds upon a prior order issued by Justice Lifu on July 19, 2024, where he granted an ex-parte motion filed by the APC.
At the time, the court restrained INEC from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC and also barred the IGP and DSS from providing security for the election.
Court criticizes RSIEC’s election plans
Delivering his judgment on Monday, Justice Lifu expressed strong criticism of RSIEC’s decision to set the election date without adhering to the required legal framework.
The suit had been brought before the court by the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In his ruling, Justice Lifu stated:
“The Rivers State electoral body violated the provisions of the local government election law by failing to publish the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date.”
He further emphasized that before any valid election could take place, the process of updating and revising the voters’ register must be completed.
INEC ordered to withhold Voter Register
Justice Lifu’s ruling not only bars INEC from releasing the certified voters’ register to RSIEC but also prohibits the Rivers State electoral body from accepting or using any voter register for the October 5 elections.
He said:
“Until all legal requirements are fully met, the voters’ register cannot be made available to RSIEC.”
Moreover, the judge ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to refrain from providing security for the election, thereby effectively halting all preparations for the polls.
The APC’s legal team, led by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon, and Ogwu James Onoja, argued the case on behalf of the party.
The legal team’s position was that RSIEC had violated essential electoral laws, and the court’s decision was a triumph for the rule of law.
Speaking to reporters, one of the SANs stated,
“The judgment today underscores the importance of adhering to proper legal procedures in the conduct of elections. This is a win for democracy in Rivers State.”
Rivers Crisis: “Please, don’t burn my state,” Makinde begs Wike
In another development, TheTalk.NG reported that Governor Seyi Makinde has begged Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) not to set Oyo state on fire.
Recall that Wike, at a function, threatened to cause a political crisis in the states of any governor on the platform of the PDP backing the Rivers state governor, Sim Fubara in the state.
Reacting, Makinde, during the Ijaw World Congress reception in Port Harcourt, on Saturday, September 28, organized for Wike, begged the FCT minister not to ‘Put fire in Oyo state.
Source: TheTalk.NG
