The Supreme Court has set February 10 as the date to rule on two suits filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the legality of the local government elections conducted in Rivers State last year.
PulseNets learnt that the Apex Court fixed the date on Tuesday after resolving preliminary issues raised by the parties involved in the legal dispute.
A five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, concluded all motions related to the appeals and directed counsel on both sides to file and exchange their respective briefs of argument ahead of the adjourned date.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had previously 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 purpose of conducting council elections.
Justice Peter Lifu, who issued the order, told PulseNets that his decision was based on the non-compliance of the Rivers Local Government Electoral Commission with conditions precedent for such elections.
Furthermore, Justice Lifu barred the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) from participating in or providing security for any local government elections in Rivers State. The Judge also prohibited RSIEC and the Rivers State Attorney General from accepting or utilizing INEC’s voter register for any local government polls.
PulseNets reported that Justice Lifu’s judgment stemmed from an APC suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024.
However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja later overturned Justice Lifu’s decision, declaring it void on the grounds that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to issue the orders granted in favor of the APC.
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Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s verdict, 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 judgment.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, PulseNets learnt that senior lawyers Joseph Bodunde Daudu and Ogwu James Onoja, both SANs, represented the APC alongside other counsel. Chris Uche SAN, accompanied by a team of lawyers, stood for the respondents.
