By Blessing Omale, Abuja
The Supreme Court has scheduled February 10, 2025, to deliver its judgment on two appeals filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), contesting the legality of the local government elections conducted in Rivers State last year.
The decision to fix the date followed the resolution of all preliminary issues raised by the parties involved in the case.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, directed all parties to file and exchange their written arguments ahead of the hearing.
The legal tussle began when a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a ruling last year, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) with the voter register required to conduct local government elections.
Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the case, argued that RSIEC had failed to meet the necessary conditions for organizing the elections.
Justice Lifu also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) from providing security for the elections.
Similarly, RSIEC and the Rivers State Attorney General were prohibited from using or accepting any part of the INEC voter register for the polls.
This judgment was issued in response to APC’s suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024.
However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned Justice Lifu’s ruling, declaring that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to make such orders. Dissatisfied with this outcome, the APC filed two separate appeals, SC/CV/1106/2024 and SC/CV/1107/2024, urging the Supreme Court to reinstate the Federal High Court’s decision.
During Tuesday’s session, senior lawyers Joseph Bodunde Daudu (SAN) and Ogwu James Onoja (SAN) represented the APC, while Chris Uche (SAN) appeared for the respondents alongside other counsel.
The Apex Court’s ruling on February 10 will determine whether the Rivers State local government elections were conducted in line with the law or if the APC’s objections hold merit.
