The Supreme Court dropped a big ruling on Friday, saying the local government elections held in Rivers State on October 5, 2024, don’t count. A team of five judges, led by Justice Jamilu Tukur, called the whole thing null and void. They threw out a Court of Appeal decision that had tried to save the election and instead brought back the Federal High Court’s original order. Back then, Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja had stopped the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission from going ahead because the voter register wasn’t updated.
The lower court had told the Independent National Electoral Commission to hand over a fresh voter list to Rivers so the election could happen properly. It even warned the police, DSS, and other security groups not to guard the polls. But when the election went ahead anyway, it sparked a legal fight that landed at the Supreme Court.
Now, the top court has settled it those October elections are dead in the water. Rivers people are left wondering what’s next for their local leaders.