- Court of Appeal nullifies Federal High Court judgment barring INEC from releasing voters register to Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
- RSIEC ordered to conduct local government elections using 2023 voters’ register by Rivers State High Court.
- Federal High Court judgment overturned due to lack of jurisdiction, as Electoral Act doesn’t cover state-conducted elections.
- Security agencies’ participation in election allowed, despite initial bar by Federal High Court.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court judgment that prevented the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the local government polls. This decision comes after Justice I. Igwe of the Rivers State High Court ordered RSIEC to conduct the elections using the 2023 voters’ register, citing the necessity of following the Federal Government’s directive for states to conduct local government elections within three months.
The Federal High Court had barred INEC from releasing the voters register, citing non-compliance with relevant laws guiding the election. However, the Appeal Court ruled that the Electoral Act doesn’t apply to local government elections, and therefore, the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit ¹. The Appeal Court also stated that the lower court erred in ordering security agencies not to perform their constitutional duties during the election.
This development is significant, as it allows RSIEC to proceed with the local government elections, ensuring the democratic process in Rivers State.
