The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Monday, restrained INEC from releasing the national voter register to the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) for the conduct of local government elections.

Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling on an ex parte motion brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also stopped KWSIEC and Kwara’s attorney general from using the voter register for the September 21 polls.

Through its lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, the PDP sued INEC, KWSIEC, Kwara AG, the inspector general of police, and the State Security Service (SSS) as first to fifth defendants, respectively.

Justice Lifu, in the ruling, equally restrained the IGP and SSS from participating in or providing security protection for local government elections in Kwara, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by PDP.

The PDP had, in the affidavit, alleged that the KWSIEC was in grievous contravention, breach and violation of Sections 9, 28, 29 and 106 of the Electoral Act 2022, Sections 20 (1) and 21 (1) of Kwara State Local Government Electoral (Amendment) Law, 2024.

It claimed that all the conditions and precedents contained in Local Government Electoral Laws in Kwara had been deliberately jettisoned and violated under unacceptable circumstances.

Among others, PDP claimed to be a duly registered political party in Nigeria, eligible to participate and field candidates to contest elections in Nigeria, including the 2024 local government elections in Kwara, which sought to be conducted by the defendants.

It alleged that KWSIEC had applied to INEC for the voter register for Kwara for use in the conduct of the poll, which the party said was in breach and violation of the provisions of the constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022 and Kwara State Local Government Electoral (Amendment) Law, 2024.

It said that despite the gross violations of electoral laws, the INEC had shown a desire to release the register to the KWSIEC in violation of the Electoral Act 2022.

After the lawyer moved the motion, Justice Lifu ordered all the parties in the suit to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiff’s motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The judge, however, ordered PDP to enter into a fresh undertaking to indemnify the five defendants at a cost that would be assessed by the court in case its application turns out to be frivolous and ought not to have been granted.

He adjourned the matter until August 12 for a hearing.

(NAN)