INEC is currently collaborating with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the prosecution of 774 alleged electoral offenders from the 2023 general elections. While successful convictions have been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi states, many cases remain pending.
Abuja, Nigeria – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated its call for the establishment of a special tribunal to handle electoral offences, citing delays in justice delivery as a major challenge.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this appeal on Friday during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja. He highlighted the increasing backlog of electoral offence cases and the urgent need for a dedicated tribunal to ensure swift prosecution.
“A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound, unlike post-election cases handled by election tribunals,” Yakubu stated. “Furthermore, these cases are solely prosecuted by Magistrate and State High Courts within the jurisdiction where the offences occur, often without priority attention.”
According to him, the lack of a dedicated tribunal results in electoral offences being carried over from one election cycle to another, sometimes affecting diligent prosecution. He emphasized that establishing an Electoral Offences Tribunal with specific jurisdiction and a limited timeframe would address these challenges.
Long Delays in Electoral Justice
Prof. Yakubu pointed to a recent case in Akwa Ibom State, where a returning officer convicted of electoral malpractice in the 2019 general elections was only successfully prosecuted after nearly six years.
“The Commission has been diligently pursuing this case since the 2019 General Election. It took nearly six years to achieve a successful prosecution at the trial court,” he said, underscoring the slow pace of electoral justice.
INEC is currently collaborating with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the prosecution of 774 alleged electoral offenders from the 2023 general elections. While successful convictions have been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi states, many cases remain pending.
Additionally, the commission’s partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying cases has led to successful prosecutions in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe states.
The meeting also addressed preparations for the 2025 Anambra State governorship election and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council elections.
INEC’s renewed push for a dedicated electoral offences tribunal comes amid growing concerns about electoral integrity and the need for timely justice in election-related crimes.
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