Supreme Court Set to Hear APC’s Suit Challenging Rivers LG Poll

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two appeals filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the legitimacy of the Local Government (LG) election conducted in Rivers State in 2024. The hearing follows the completion of preliminary proceedings, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, who headed a five-member panel. The panel has directed that the parties involved exchange their respective briefs by February 10, 2025.

The APC is challenging a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which overturned an earlier ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Justice Lifu had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to proceed with the LG election.

Justice Lifu’s decision, issued in a suit filed by the APC (FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024), was based on the argument that RSIEC had failed to meet the necessary conditions to conduct the election. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court did not have jurisdiction over the matter and thus annulled the decision, allowing the election to proceed.

Now, the Supreme Court will examine the merits of the case, which is pivotal to the legality of the Rivers LG poll and the conduct of future elections in the state.