Court Stops Rivers LG Polls, Bars INEC from Releasing Voter Register

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the Local Government elections slated for October 5.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that RSIEC violated the law by setting a date for elections in the state’s 23 local government areas without adhering to the relevant legal framework.

The suit, filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), led to the court barring both the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.

Justice Lifu cited the RSIEC’s failure to publish the mandatory 90-day notice prior to the elections as a significant violation. The court also held that the update and revision of the voters’ register should have been completed before any election date was announced.

The court ordered INEC to withhold the certified voters’ register from RSIEC until full compliance with the legal provisions is met.

Additionally, RSIEC was prohibited from accepting or using any voters’ register from INEC for the planned October 5 elections.