Court postpones ruling in Rivers APC lawsuit against INEC

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, deferred judgment in a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State.

He said the date of the ruling would be communicated to the parties after the lawyers in the suit adopted their process and presented their arguments on the matter.

The APC in its suit urged the court to declare that the Electoral Commission can only release the voters’ register to the Rivers State Electoral Commission (RSIEC) “in accordance with and in compliance with the mandatory provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022.”

The party argued that the commission under the provisions can stop continuous voter registration at least 90 days before the election date.

It was stressed that the initial prerequisites for the holding of local government elections in Rivers had not been met by the RSIEC.

At the follow-up hearing, the court heard all pending preliminary applications, including the merger application filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Boot Party as well as the substantive claims.

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APC legal adviser, Goddy Uche (SAN), also made his proposal for a change of legal adviser and the termination of the lawsuit on behalf of the Rivers branch of the party.

The proposal was made by Uche and signed by the APC chairman in the state, Chief Emeka Beke, and the secretary, Sam Etetegwung.

However, Joseph Daudu (SAN), representing the APC national leadership, appealed to the court to grant them leniency.

In their arguments, counsel for the Rivers State Attorney General, Taiwo Taiwo (SAN), and Femi Falana (SAN), appearing for INEC, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

They also challenged the competence of the lawsuit on the grounds that it had expired.

The respondents further argued that the competent court to try this case was the Rivers Division of the FHC.

Judge Lifu therefore reserved his decision in the matter after hearing the parties.

Court postpones ruling in Rivers APC lawsuit against INEC first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.