Supreme Court To Hear APC’s Appeal On Rivers LG Election Legality

The Supreme Court is set to hear two appeals filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the legality of the 2024 Local Government (LG) elections conducted in Rivers State.

A five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji has ordered all parties involved to file and exchange their legal briefs before February 10, 2025, as the apex court prepares to rule on the case.

The legal dispute stems from an initial judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the LG elections.

Justice Lifu’s ruling came after the APC, through a suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024), argued that RSIEC failed to meet the necessary conditions for conducting the elections.

However, in a reversal of this decision, the Court of Appeal in Abuja held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and issue the restraining order.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s ruling, the APC filed two appeals at the Supreme Court, insisting that the Rivers LG elections were unlawful and should be nullified.

The party argues that RSIEC did not follow constitutional provisions and electoral guidelines, thereby compromising the credibility of the process.