Appeal Court sets aside Federal High Court ruling on Rivers local government elections The Appeal Court in Abuja has set aside the judgment...

 Appeal Court sets aside Federal High Court ruling on Rivers local government elections

The Appeal Court in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from issuing the voters’ registration form to the Rivers State Electoral Commission for the recently concluded local government elections.

In its ruling, the panel of judges of the Appeal Court, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, held that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition, as the judges held that Section 28 of the Electoral Act does not apply to elections to be organised by states.

The judges said the section only applies to the federal, gubernatorial and local government elections in Abuja.

The appeal court said the Federal High Court erred in barring the security forces from participating in the elections to ensure security during the elections.

Ahead of the Rivers State local government elections scheduled for October 5, a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the state electoral commission from releasing the voters’ register to the state commission.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Peter Lifu said the Rivers State Electoral Commission violated the Local Government Elections Act by failing to publish the notice of election date three months before the election.

The judge also barred security operatives from entering the premises to ensure security during the elections.

This is something that some have attributed to the chaos that has gripped the state since the announcement of the results.