Court Orders Immediate LG Elections in Rivers

The High Court in Port Harcourt has directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to proceed with the upcoming local government elections using the 2023 voters’ register.

Justice I Igwe of High Court number 14 issued the orders in response to a case brought by the Action People’s Party (APP) against the State Electoral Commission, the Rivers State Government, and the Governor of Rivers State.

The court’s decision, delivered on September 4 mandates the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Force (NSCDC)
to ensure adequate security throughout the election process.

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According to the judge, the defendants are obligated under Section 7, subsection 1 of the Constitution and Section 5 (A) of the RSIEC Law Number 2 of 2018 to organise and conduct the local government elections promptly, particularly in light of the expiration of the previous officials’ terms on June 17.

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Furthermore, the court explained the necessity of adhering to the Federal Government’s recent directive, which requires states without democratically elected local governments to hold elections within three months, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

The court has urged all relevant authorities to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the elections take place on October 5, 2024, as scheduled by RSIEC.