BREAKING: Hope for Nigerians as Court Stops INEC from Ending Voters' Registration
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission from ending the ongoing voters' registration exercise.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon in the court's ruling granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion ex-parte by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
Source: Original
The electoral body had stated that the voters' registration exercise would end on Thursday, June 30, to allow the commission to clean up its database ahead of the general election scheduled to take place in 2023.
Contending the decision of the commission, SERAP in a suit filed alongside 185 concerned Nigerians prayed the court to declare as unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards, the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.
SERAP's suit against INEC
In a statement issued by SERAP and seen by Legit.ng, the organisation confirmed that it had asked the court for an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration exercise from the 30th June 2022 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
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The suit is adjourned to June 29, for the hearing of the substantive matter.
SERAP said:
"The suit followed the decision by INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by six days, from June 3 to June 9.
"But the commission failed to also extend the online pre-registration which ended May 30, 2022, and the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ending 30 June 2022."
SERAP added that extending the deadline for voter registration would be entirely consistent with constitutional and international standards, and the Electoral Act.
It said that any such extension would also not impact negatively on INEC’s election calendar and activities.
The statement added:
“Extending the deadline for voter registration would also be justified, given reports of challenges in the voter registration exercise, especially for young people, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, and those residents in states facing security challenges and living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.”
2 INEC staff in trouble as commission takes strong decision over extortion during PVC registration exercise
The INEC had queried two of its staff for demanding and collecting bribes from Permanent Voters' Card registrants.
INEC's administrative secretary made the announcement in a press statement dated Thursday, June 17.
According to the commission, the two staff have been withdrawn from the field and their replacements deployed to the Oju local government area of Benue state.
2023 election: NAHCON commissioner calls for extension of CVR registration
Ahead of the 2023 presidential polls, a commissioner of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) had asked INEC to extend its continuous voter registration.
Commissioner of NAHCON in the south-south region, Sadiq Musa urged the electoral body to make the process seamless for Nigerians.
Musa also urged Muslims in the south-south region to participate in the electoral process of the forthcoming general election.
Source: Legit.ng
