A Federal High Court in Abuja has again prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the local government elections set for October 5, 2024.
The court, led by Justice Peter Lifu, also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from offering security for the elections.
This ruling followed a lawsuit by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which argued that the RSIEC prematurely set the election date without meeting legal requirements, including the 90-day notice period.
Justice Lifu emphasized that the voters’ register must be updated before establishing a valid election date. Consequently, INEC was ordered not to provide the certified voters’ register to RSIEC until all legal stipulations are met. RSIEC was instructed not to accept or use any voters’ register from INEC for the elections.
