Supreme Court sacks all elected Rivers local government chairmen, declarers election invalid

The Supreme Court on Friday nullified the Rivers State local government election held on October 5, 2024, declaring it illegal, null, and void. The election, which was won by the All People’s Party (APP), was ruled invalid due to non-compliance with electoral laws.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur held that the poll was conducted in gross violation of Section 150 of the Electoral Act 2022. The court stated that the Rivers State Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to meet all necessary preconditions before conducting the election.

Prior to the election, a Federal High Court in Abuja had, on September 30, 2024, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC for the conduct of the poll. The court also restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.

Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the case brought by the All Progressives Congress (APC), ruled that RSIEC acted unlawfully by scheduling the October 5 election without adhering to the relevant electoral laws.

Among other violations, the court noted that RSIEC failed to publish the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date, as required by law. Additionally, the update and revision of the voter register were not completed before the election was scheduled.

As a result, the court ordered INEC not to release the certified voter register to RSIEC until all legal requirements were met. It also barred RSIEC from accepting or using any voter register from INEC for the invalidated election.