The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court ruling that barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register for the Rivers State Local Government elections .
The initial ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, had prevented INEC from providing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the October 5, 2024, local government elections ². The All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed a lawsuit against the election, citing RSIEC’s failure to comply with necessary legal procedures .
However, the Court of Appeal’s three-member panel, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, unanimously decided that the Federal High Court had erred in its judgment. The appellate court criticized the lower court for prohibiting security agencies from providing protection during the election .
The Court of Appeal’s decision has effectively nullified the earlier judgment, allowing the local government elections to proceed as scheduled. This ruling emphasizes that the lower court’s actions were beyond its jurisdiction
