Electoral offenders must not go scot-free

The continued soundlessness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) connected the recommended prosecution of violators of predetermination laws successful the past wide elections is ominous. It sends a incorrect awesome that thing volition hap to anybody bold capable to disrupt elections oregon to tally afoul of electoral laws successful the country. That impression, of course, constitutes a menace to ideology and credible elections that each Nigerians crave for. It is truthful indispensable and urgent for INEC to marque a bold and concerted effort to authorisation culprits of electoral laws successful bid to sanitise aboriginal elections.

Health of ideology successful immoderate clime is simply a measurement of however the authorities promotes the sanctity of regularisation of instrumentality with applicable institutions taking the indispensable steps to curtail the civilization of impunity. Citizens’ assurance successful the electoral process is eroded erstwhile indulgence successful predetermination related crimes becomes permissible connected relationship of impunity. Failure to prosecute individuals indicted for electoral offences tin lone service arsenic acceptable inducement for the perpetuation of worse crimes successful aboriginal elections.

It is truthful regrettable that the prosecution of individuals investigated and listed for trials for assorted electoral offences crossed the state has not commenced 18 months aft the 2023 General Elections. There could beryllium nary credible justification for the continued prevarication implicit the prosecution of those indicted months aft the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed it had received much than 200 lawsuit files relating to indictments implicit electoral offences pursuing the apprehension of implicit 700 suspects apprehended during the past wide elections.

Regrettably, INEC’s repeated pledge to behaviour escaped and just polls devoid of elector suppression and apathy whitethorn travel crossed arsenic gimmick if individuals indicted for electoral crimes are not held to relationship to service arsenic deterrent to imaginable lawbreakers successful aboriginal elections. There is nary uncertainty that the hold successful the prosecution of electoral offenders is instigated by the prevailing civilization of impunity successful the country. It is simply a well-known information that electoral offences are, much often than not, instigated and perpetrated successful connivance with governmental actors whose power are brought to carnivore to shield culprits from prosecution adjacent if apprehended.

There are beardown indications of conspiracy against the prosecution of those recovered culpable for electoral crimes considering that neither the INEC nor the constabulary person taken immoderate factual measurement to commence trial. Certainly, some INEC and the constabulary had nary further justification for the continued hold of the prosecution of cases wrong their jurisdiction months aft investigations person been concluded.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) deserves commendation for its patriotic steps successful seeking an Order of Mandamus to compel INEC to commence prosecution of those indicted for electoral offences. On July 18, 2024, Hon. Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of Abuja Federal High Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clasp precocious illustration politicians accountable for wide-range of cases of electoral malpractices and criminality perpetrated during the 2023 General Elections.

It should beryllium instructive that Nigerians person been near successful perpetual suspense regarding a fig of notable cases involving electoral violence, bribery, vote-buying, and conspiracy that undermined the credibility of 2023 wide elections. Justice Egwuatu‘s assertion that electoral unit and the associated crimes committed successful the state has constituted a bane to antiauthoritarian and socio-economic improvement could not beryllium much apt. The aberration should not beryllium allowed to persist if Nigeria genuinely craves for antiauthoritarian stability.

It is worrisome that impunity astir authorities and governance successful the state is accelerated evolving into a culture. Failure to clasp those indicted for undermining erstwhile polls to relationship threatens fashionable information successful aboriginal predetermination with effect of further shrinking the antiauthoritarian abstraction connected relationship of civilization of impunity. In the aftermath of electoral practices and suppression of voters successful parts of the state during the 2023 General elections, Nigerians expected INEC and the constabulary to bring the apprehended culprits to publication aft investigation.

It is instructive that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had promised to connection pro-bono work to guarantee diligent prosecution of cases already investigated. INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu represented by Nasara Auta, the Deputy Director, Prosecutions for the Commission astatine a forum organised by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) connected 2023 General Elections alluded to the concern betwixt the NBA and the committee to guarantee prosecution of those indicted connected relationship of electoral offences.

While it is not successful contention that INEC is empowered nether Section 145 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to prosecute electoral offenders, specified prerogative could nevertheless beryllium discharged done backstage ineligible counsel if the committee is administratively challenged to readily undertake the task in-house. It should truthful beryllium worrisome that INEC has not taken the vantage of the concern projected by the NBA or, successful the alternative, deploy its disposable ineligible unit to commence the long-awaited prosecutions of electoral offenders arsenic expected.

The committee (INEC) should enactment swiftly and without further hesitation successful mounting successful question the machinery for the prosecution of cases that person been investigated and recommended for proceedings by the applicable authority. It is besides imperative that the constabulary and different agencies similar the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that apprehended culprits successful the people of 2023 General Election and off-cycle polls to commence the prosecutions of those that person cases to answer. The prosecution of pending cases would spell a agelong mode successful contributing to the quest for gathering assurance successful the electoral process up of 2027 General Elections. The INEC has nary much excuses to springiness than to bash the needful. Those indicted for electoral misconducts and criminality indispensable beryllium made to look the instrumentality with due sanctions meted retired if recovered guilty.