The Supreme Court on Friday rendered the local government election held in Rivers State on October 5, 2024, which was won by the All Peoples Party (APP), as invalid, illegal, null and void.
The apex court determined that the election was invalidated due to the failure of the Rivers State Electoral Commission to implement all requisite conditions precedent.
Specifically, Justice Jamilu Tukur, who authored the lead opinion, asserted that the council poll was conducted in egregious contravention of Section 150 of the Electoral Act 2022.
The court further restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the aforementioned election.
Justice Peter Lifu rendered this order against INEC while delivering a judgment in a suit initiated by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The suit was presented on behalf of the APC by a cadre of legal practitioners, including Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon, and Ogwu James Onoja, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
Justice Lifu adjudicated that the RSIEC erred in scheduling the election date of October 5, 2024, for the 23 local governments, as all pertinent legal requirements governing the election had not been satisfied.
Among other findings, the judge stated that the failure of the Rivers electoral authority to comply with the statutory requirement of publishing a mandatory 90-day notice prior to setting the election date constituted a violation of local government election conduct law.
Justice Peter Lifu also indicated that the update and revision of the voter register must be completed prior to the lawful and valid scheduling of an election date.
Consequently, the Supreme Court judge mandated that INEC refrain from providing the certified voter register to RSIEC until full compliance with the law is achieved.
Justice Peter Lifu further prohibited RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC or utilizing it for the purpose of the local government election scheduled for October 5, 2024.
