Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission is prosecuting 774 electoral offenders from the 2023 general election.
Yakubu spoke on Friday during a meeting with journalists at
the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
He reassured the public that the commission is committed to
continually improving the electoral process.
He also noted that the recent Ondo state governorship
election has been widely recognised as an improvement, particularly in the
management of logistics and the performance of election technology.
Yakubu explained that recent judicial and legislative
actions underscore INEC’s efforts to address offenses committed by officials
assigned to specific responsibilities within the commission.
“The recent successful prosecution of a returning officer in
Akwa Ibom state is a prime example,” he said.
“The commission has been diligently pursuing this case,
which stems from the 2019 general election.
“In this particular case, it took nearly six years to secure
a successful prosecution at the trial court.
“Through our collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA), we are prosecuting cases involving 774 alleged offenders from the 2023
general election.
“So far, successful prosecutions have been recorded in Kebbi
and Kogi states.
“Additionally, our collaboration with the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying has led to similar successes
in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe states. However, many cases are still pending.”
The INEC chairman highlighted a major challenge in the
timely resolution of these cases.
“A significant obstacle to the swift administration of
justice is that electoral offenses are not time-bound, unlike post-election
offenses, which are handled through tribunals,” he said.
“Furthermore, electoral offenses are exclusively prosecuted
by magistrates and state high courts in the jurisdictions where the offenses
occur.
“These cases are not given priority, as the courts also deal
with a wide range of other matters.
“As a result, electoral offenses often carry over from one
general election to the next, which can hinder the diligent prosecution of
cases.”
Yakubu emphasised the need for reform, noting that, “It is
therefore essential to renew our call for the creation of an electoral offenses
tribunal with specific jurisdiction and a limited timeframe for the swift
resolution of cases.”
The INEC chairman also appealed to the media to “join in the
patriotic advocacy for the betterment of our electoral democracy”.
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