2019 General Elections: Lawyer Asks Court to Restrain INEC from Suspending Voters’ Registration Exercise

A Lagos-based Legal practitioner, Olumide Babalola, has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from suspending the continuous voters’ registration on August 17, 2018.

In the originating summons with suit number FHC/L/CS/1280/18, filed on the 30th of July, 2018, Mr. Babalola seeks the interpretation of section 9(5) of the Electoral Act vis a vis INEC’s powers to suspend the continuous voters’ registration exercise in August whereas the law provides for a period of 30 days before the general elections. The reliefs sought by the Plaintiff includes:

1. A DECLARATION that, by virtue of section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended) the Respondent ought not stop/suspend the continuous voters’ registration on the 17^th day of August 2018 – a period of about 6 months before the general elections in February 2019.
2. A DECLARATION that the Respondent’s planned suspension of continuous voters’ registration on the 17^th day of August 2018 is a violation of sections 9(5) and 10 of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended)
3. A PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Respondent from suspending the continuous voters’ registration exercise until 30 days before the 2019 general elections as provided under section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended)
4. Other Consequential order(s) as this honourable court may deem fit to grant in the circumstance.

INEC had announced that the voters registration exercise for the 2019 general election would end on the 17th of August, 2018.

The suit has not been assigned to a judge.