The Supreme Court has scheduled February 10, 2025, to hear two suits filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the legality of the local government elections conducted in Rivers State last year.
The date was set on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, after resolving all preliminary issues raised by the parties involved in the legal battle. A five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, cleared the motions related to the two appeals, and ordered that lawyers representing the parties exchange their briefs of argument before the hearing date.
Last year, a Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the election. Justice Peter Lifu, who issued the order, cited the failure of the Rivers Local Government Electoral Commission to follow necessary procedures for the election.
Additionally, Justice Lifu had barred the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) from participating in or providing security for the election. He also prohibited RSIEC and the State Attorney General from using the INEC voter register for the local government election.
The 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 orders, ruling that his court lacked jurisdiction to grant them.
Unsatisfied with the Court of Appeal’s decision, the APC filed two separate appeals, SC/CV/1106/2024, asking the Supreme Court to overturn the appeal court’s judgment and restore the Federal High Court’s ruling.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the APC was represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Joseph Bodunde Daudu and Ogwu James Onoja, while Chris Uche SAN and other lawyers represented the respondents in the case.
