INEC to Implement Federal High Court Decision On CVR

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that the Federal High Court in Abuja’s decision on Continuous Voter Registration will be implemented (CVR).

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this on Monday while playing guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The INEC spokesman said the commission would continue to observe the court’s orders. However, he did not specify whether the electoral umpire would go forward with its initial intention to halt the exercise.

“The commission is a constitutional body, and we are under a constitutional obligation to give effect to judgments and orders of properly constituted courts of law, and we are going to give effect to the order made by the Federal High Court,” he said.

INEC’s decision to conclude the CVR process on June 30, as planned, was overturned by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

After hearing an argument on a motion ex parte brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, the judge issued the ruling while granting an order of interim injunction (SERAP).

While INEC is expected to appear before Justice Olajuwon, the suit was adjourned till June 29 for the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Despite the determination to carry out the court’s order, Okoye reiterated that INEC would persuade the court on the postponed date why the exercise should be suspended for the time being.

“The court has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to come back on the 29th day of June and explain its position; we are going to go back to the court on that 29th day of June to explain our position and then allow the rest of the issues to be determined by the court,” he said.

The CVR exercise has been running for nearly a year, according to an INEC official, with online pre-registration and physical registration starting in June and July 2021, respectively.

He lamented that there were instances where the registration officers registered just an individual for the whole day, stressing that the cost implications cannot be overlooked.

Okoye reiterated that the exercise was meant for only those who are 18 and above and have not registered before.