The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, renewed calls for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal, emphasising the need for a dedicated judicial body to handle cases of electoral malpractice.
It cited the recent conviction of a Returning Officer in Akwa Ibom State, which took nearly six years to conclude, as an example of the slow pace of justice.
The Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, spoke on behalf of the Commission at the first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Friday, as he highlighted the challenges facing the prosecution of electoral offenders, noting that delays in the judicial system often result in cases lingering for years.
Yakubu therefore explained that under the current system, electoral offences are prosecuted in Magistrate and State High Courts alongside other criminal cases, leading to significant delays.
“However, it also highlights the challenges we face in dealing with electoral offences. The recent successful prosecution of a Returning Officer in Akwa Ibom State is a case in point.
“The Commission has been diligently pursuing the case which arose from the 2019 General Election. In this particular case, it took nearly six years to achieve the successful prosecution at the trial court.”
The INEC Chairman therefore explained that under the current system, electoral offences are prosecuted in Magistrate and State High Courts alongside other criminal cases, leading to significant delays.
