Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara on Friday suffered another loss at the Supreme Court, which nullified the local government election held in the state last October 5, 2024.
The apex court ruled that the election was not duly conducted and that it violated Section 150 of the Electoral Act 2024.
The five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to meet the necessary legal conditions before conducting the poll, hence the election is invalid.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jamilu Tukur upheld the appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting the lack of evidence that voter registration was completed at least 90 days before the election or that the required notices were properly issued.
The embattled governor had earlier lost at the apex court in a suit over allocations to the state brought by 27 lawmakers of the state assembly, led by Hon Martins Amaehule.
The court threw out the judgment of an appellant court, which voided an order directing the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Accountant-General of the Federation to reinstate the state’s allocation. The suit was brought by the Amaehule and his colleagues, who averred that the 2025 appropriation bill was not properly passed.
In a related development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to avoid misleading the public about political defections, especially by lawmakers.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, responded to comments made by Governor Fubara. The governor had accused INEC of unfairly conducting elections to fill vacancies created by lawmakers who defected from one political party to another.
Oyekanmi said the governor did not provide specific examples of the alleged selective actions. However, he pointed out that the governor’s statement claimed that INEC had failed to address vacancies caused by the ongoing conflict in the Rivers State House of Assembly, where two factions are fighting for control.
He clarified that INEC is aware of the situation but noted that the matter is currently in court, meaning the commission cannot act until the courts make a final decision.
Oyekanmi added that INEC is involved in several lawsuits related to this issue, including cases in the Supreme Court. He urged caution, saying that it would be a waste of public resources for INEC to take any action before the courts have given their ruling.
Finally, Oyekanmi advised people in public office to be careful with their words to avoid misleading the public and damaging the reputation of public institutions, especially when legal cases are still ongoing.
