The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, restrained, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, for the conduct of Local Government elections in the state.
The court issued the restraining order after it heard and ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, which was filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In the ruling that was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, barred the Rivers Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of Rivers State, from receiving from INEC or using part of the National Voter’s Register relating to Rivers State, to conduct the scheduled local government elections.
It equally stopped the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service from participating or providing security protection for the Rivers State Electoral Commission to conduct local government polls in the state.
More so, Justice Lifu ordered all the defendants to maintain status quo ante bellum and not carry out any act or take steps in furtherance of the conduct of the LG elections in Rivers state, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit the APC brought before it.
He directed the APC to undertake to pay damages to the defendants in case its suit was found to be frivolous, even as he okayed substituted service of the court processes on the defendants through publications in two national dailies.
The matter was subsequently adjourned till August 2 for hearing.
The plaintiff had in a 13-paragraph affidavit that was deposed to by one Tony Okocha, the acting Chairman of Rivers APC, told the court that the suit was necessitated by the failure of INEC to strictly comply with provisions of the Electoral Act in respect of the management of the register of voters intended to be used for the elections.
The deponent averred that it only voters registers compiled, maintained, updated and kept in the custody of INEC, that the Rivers Electoral Commission could obtain and use for the conduct of the LG polls as Rivers SIEC was not statutorily entitled to compile, maintain, update and keep in its custody any separate voters register.
The plaintiff further told the court that since its originating summons and motion on notice were pending for hearing, it became necessary to take proactive steps to preserve the substance of the case by restraining the defendants from jeopardizing the subject matter of the case.
It maintained that the suit was filed both the interest of justice, for the maintenance of status quo ante bellum and for the preservation of the main matter.
VANGUARD
