November 22, (THEWILL) – The Special Panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, has validated the October 5 local government election held in Rivers State.
The panel of Justices, led by Onyekachi Otisi, nullified the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the conduct of the state local government polls.
It held that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter as Section 28 of the Electoral Act does not cover elections conducted by states, only federal elections, governorship and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
The appellate court also held that the lower court was wrong to have ordered security agencies not to carry out their constitutional duties.
Justice Peter Lifu had on 30th September, restrained INEC from releasing voters’ registers to RSIEC, to conduct the October 5, 2024, local government election in Rivers State.
Ruling in a suit brought before it by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the court also barred the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of the State Service (DSS) from providing security for the poll.
Contending that the update and revision of voters’ registers ought to have been concluded before an election date can be legally and validity fixed in law, Justice Lifu ordered INEC not to make the certified voters’ register available to RSIEC until the law has been fully complied with. The court also barred RSIEC from accepting any voters’ register from INEC or using it for local government elections scheduled for October 5.
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