The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a previous decision by the Federal High Court, allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the local government elections, which have already been held.
In its ruling on Thursday, the appellate court, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, determined that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction over the matter. It further clarified that Section 28 of the Electoral Act pertains only to federal, governorship, and Federal Capital Territory area council elections, and not to state-administered elections. The Court also criticized the Federal High Court’s order, which prohibited security agencies from fulfilling their constitutional duties during the election.
Earlier, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had ruled against RSIEC for scheduling the local government elections on October 5 without adhering to the legal requirement of providing a 90-day notice. He had also insisted that the voters’ register be updated before setting a valid election date, prohibiting INEC from releasing the register to RSIEC until all legal procedures were followed.
The appeal was part of a series of legal challenges regarding political matters in Rivers State, with Justice Otisi’s special panel addressing consolidated appeals against Justice Lifu’s ruling. Tensions between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, had heightened throughout the election period, contributing to the political climate surrounding the case.
