Supreme Court to Hear APC’s Appeals on Rivers LG Elections February 10

The Supreme Court has scheduled February 10 to hear two appeals filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State last year.

This decision follows the resolution of preliminary issues during a session on Tuesday. A five-member panel of Justices led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji directed all parties to exchange their written arguments ahead of the adjourned date.

The legal dispute began when a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the local government polls.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had ruled that RSIEC failed to meet the conditions required for conducting the elections. His judgment also prohibited the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Security Service from participating in or providing security for the polls. Additionally, RSIEC and the Rivers State Attorney General were barred from using any voter register supplied by INEC.

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However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned Justice Lifu’s decision, ruling that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to issue such orders.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s verdict, the APC filed two separate appeals—marked SC/CV/1106/2024 and SC/CV/1107/2024—at the Supreme Court, seeking to reinstate the Federal High Court’s judgment.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, APC was represented by senior advocates Joseph Bodunde Daudu and Ogwu James Onoja, while Chris Uche SAN and his team appeared for the respondents.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on February 10 will likely determine the legal status of the disputed local government elections.