Supreme Court Nullifies Rivers State Local Government Elections

The Supreme Court has annulled the results of the Rivers State Local Government Elections held on October 5, 2024, citing gross violations of the Electoral Act. The court’s decision, delivered on Friday, February 28, follows an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which challenged the validity of the elections.

The Supreme Court’s lead judgment, delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, found that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to comply with key provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly Section 150.

The court ruled that RSIEC’s actions, including continuing voter registration after announcing an election date, violated the Electoral Act and its guidelines.

ALSO READ: Rivers LG Chairman Names 100 New Aides After 130 Appointments

It also held that the processes leading to the election were “abridged,” and there was insufficient evidence to show that RSIEC had met the necessary conditions before conducting the poll.

The ruling effectively reinstates an earlier decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters’ register to RSIEC for the election.

The court had found that RSIEC did not meet the legal requirements, including the publication of the 90-day mandatory notice and the finalization of the voter register before scheduling the election.

The case is a significant victory for the APC, which had argued that the election process was flawed.

⁩