The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the October 5, 2024, Rivers State local government elections has drawn mixed reactions from legal experts, with some questioning the consistency of the apex court’s rulings on local government polls.
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Reacting to the judgment, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, hinted at concerns over judicial impartiality. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Odinkalu stated:
“I will not hold forth on a judgment of the Supreme Court that I have not read. But now, folks may understand why it was worse than imprudent for the Chief Justice of Nigeria to go promenading in the company of a litigant in her court in the name of judicial housing.”
His comment appears to reference recent controversies surrounding the judiciary, particularly concerns over judicial officers’ interactions with parties involved in high-stakes political cases.
Meanwhile, some lawyers have raised questions about the Supreme Court’s position, citing its recent ruling in Eketette Inyang v. Patrick Iwok, where it held that the Electoral Act does not apply to local government elections.
Critics argue that the apex court’s latest decision contradicts its earlier stance, leading to uncertainty about the legal framework governing local polls in Nigeria.
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