The Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Honourable Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon has on Monday ruled for the continuation of voters registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) despite the commission’s deadline of June 30th.
Driving the news
The court adjourned the case to the 29th June 2022 for the hearing of the Motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
Quick catch-up
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 Nigerians filed a lawsuit against INEC to extend the set deadline for the voters’ registration exercise. SERAP is demanding that the court declare the decision of INEC to end voter registration is unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards.
What you should know
- The premise of SERAP’s argument is that the electoral body extended the deadline for political parties in Nigeria to conduct their primaries. INEC extended the primaries deadline by six days, from June 3rd to June 9th 2022.
- The House of Representatives last Wednesday urged the INEC to extend the deadline on voters’ registration by 60 days as an extension has no direct impact on election schedules for the forthcoming elections in 2023.
- The House in a decision ordered the Committee on Electoral Matters to work with INEC in providing solutions to the shortage of registration materials and work on an extension.
- INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in a televised interview stated that at the next court hearing the commission would deliver its position on the extension.