The forthcoming local council election in Rivers State may be delayed as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) from releasing the voter’s register in the state for the conduct of the council elect
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu granted an interim injunction sought by All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Granting the injection, Justice Lifu ordered that INEC should not release the voter’s register to Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the conduct of the forthcoming local council poll in the state.
APC had in a motion ex-parte with suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, filed on its behalf by its attorneys led by Joseph Daudu, praying that the court should stopp Rivers Electoral Commission and Rivers Attorney-General from receiving from INEC or using part of the National Voter’s Register relating to Rivers State to conduct the council election.
Justice Lifu, in his verdict, barred INEC, Rivers State Electoral Commission, AG Rivers State, IGP and DSS to maintain status quo ante bellum and not to do any act or take any further steps in furtherance of the conduct of Local Government elections in Rivers State.
In addition, the court restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Service (DSS) from participating or providing security protection for Rivers State Electoral Commission to conduct Local Government elections in the state.
The interim orders, the court held, are to remain in force pending the determination of the substantive suit in which the APC is challenging the propriety of the conduct of elections in Rivers Local Governments.
Justice Lifu also directed the APC to undertake to pay damages to the five defendants in case its suit was found to be frivolous.
Justice Lifu also granted substituted service of the orders and other court processes on the five defendants through publications in two major national dailies.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned to August 2, for all the defendants to appear before it for the hearing of the substantive matter.
According to a 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Tony Okocha, the acting Chairman of Rivers APC, he averred that the originating summons were taken out against the defendants due to failure of INEC to comply strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act in respect of the management of the register of voters, which it intends to release to Rivers electoral body for local government elections in breach and violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The deponent averred that it is only the voter’s register compiled, maintained, updated and kept in the custody of INEC that Rivers Electoral Commission can obtain and use to conduct local council polls, saying R has no constitutional power to compile, maintain, update and keep in its custody any separate voter’s register.
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