Court Halts Rivers LG Election, Bars INEC from Releasing Voter Register

The scheduled October 5, 2024, local government elections in Rivers State have been thrown into uncertainty as the Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The court also ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police not to provide security for the election.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Monday in a case filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). Represented by senior advocates Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon, and Ogwu James Onoja, the APC argued that RSIEC failed to follow legal procedures, including the mandatory 90-day notice before setting the election date.

The court ruled that the voter register update must be completed before the election date is finalized, rendering the current plans invalid. Justice Lifu also barred RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC until all legal requirements are fully met.

This ruling puts the Rivers local government elections in jeopardy as RSIEC cannot proceed without complying with the legal framework.