Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to;
Declare the electoral body’s failure to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights as unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards.
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP Deputy Director made this pronouncement through a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday, June 3.
INEC had extended the time for political parties to hold primaries by six days, from June 3 to June 9. This was in contrast to its previous stance.
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However, the commission failed to extend the online pre-registration period, which concluded on May 30, 2022, as well as the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) period, which ended on June 30, 2022.
SERAP implored the court to determine;
Whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is not a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.
It further sought;
A declaration that the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is a violation of eligible Nigerians’ rights to participate freely in their own government, equality and equal protection.
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.
It warned that;
Enforcing unrealistic voter registration deadline while extending the deadline for party primaries would deny and abridge the constitutional and international human rights of eligible voters.
SERAP also argued that;
INEC mandates ought to be exercised in a fair, just and non-discriminatory manner. The extension of voter registration would ensure that Nigerian voters are treated equally and fairly. The future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.
