Supreme Court Voids Rivers LG Election Over Electoral Act Violations

The Supreme Court has nullified the local government election held in Rivers State on October 5, 2024, declaring it invalid, unlawful, and of no effect. The poll, which was won by the All Peoples Party (APP), was ruled to have been conducted in violation of legal provisions.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur stated that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to fulfill mandatory prerequisites before organizing the election. He emphasized that the commission flouted Section 150 of the Electoral Act 2022, rendering the entire process defective.

Earlier, on September 30, 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC. The same ruling also barred the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.

Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the case, ruled that RSIEC acted unlawfully by scheduling the local government poll without adhering to statutory provisions. He noted that the electoral body failed to issue the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date and did not complete the required voter register update and revision.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu restrained INEC from making the certified voter register available to RSIEC until all legal requirements were met. He further prohibited RSIEC from accepting or using any voter register from INEC for the disputed election.

With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the October 5, 2024, council election in Rivers State stands annulled, reinforcing the necessity for strict adherence to electoral laws.