Toba Owojaiye reporting
Benin City, Edo State
In a significant legal ruling, a Federal High Court in Abuja has blocked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from handing over the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) ahead of the controversial October 5, 2024 local government election.
Truth Live News gathered that the court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, issued the directive in response to a lawsuit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring RSIEC’s election plans unlawful for failing to meet critical legal prerequisites.
The ruling not only prevents INEC from providing the voter register but also restrains the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services from offering security for the election.
Justice Lifu emphasized that RSIEC’s failure to meet the 90-day notice requirement and update the voters’ register renders the election date void. Until these legal conditions are fulfilled, the local government polls remain indefinitely suspended.
The standoff between the state’s incumbent governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, has all the pointers that should escalate into a defining moment in Nigeria’s political landscape.