2023 Election: Abuja High Court Stops INEC From Closing Voter Registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not be allowed to close voter registration on June 30, 2022, according to a ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Following the hearing of a case on motion exparte by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Honourable Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon (Court 10) gave the order of temporary injunction on Monday.

SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, revealed this in a statement released today.

SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians filed a complaint against INEC earlier this month, seeking the court to “declare 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 had sought 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 June 30, 2022, or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The hearing of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction has been rescheduled for June 29, 2022.

The complaint was filed in response to INEC’s decision to extend the deadline for political parties to hold primaries by six days, from June 3 to June 9.

SERAP is asking the court to find in its suit FHC/L/CS/1034/2022, which was filed in the Federal High Court of Lagos and later transferred to Abuja, “whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration isn’t a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.”

SERAP is also requesting “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months and take effective measures to ensure that eligible Nigerians are able to register to exercise their right to vote in the 2023 general elections.”