The local government election that was held in Rivers state on October 5, 2024, has been declared invalid by the Supreme Court.
An appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) was upheld by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling on Friday.
The court overruled an earlier ruling that had supported the election results and was issued by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on November 21, 2024.
In its lead judgment delivered by Jamilu Tukur, the apex court held that there was no evidence to show that the conditions set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act had been met before the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted the polls.
On September 30, Peter Lifu, a federal high court judge, stopped the INEC from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.
The judge also restrained the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies from providing security during the polls.
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However, on November 21, a special panel of the court of appeals led by Onyekachi Otisi ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
The panel held that matters relating to LG elections should not have been brought before the high court.
The Supreme Court has now set aside that ruling, upholding the initial decision of the federal high court and nullifying the election.
