The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed its call for the establishment of a dedicated Electoral Offences Tribunal to address the growing backlog of electoral offence cases.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, emphasized that the proposal is necessary for timely resolution, highlighting challenges in the current judicial process that hinder the swift prosecution of electoral offenders.
Speaking at the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Friday, Yakubu pointed out that electoral offences are not time-bound like post-election disputes handled by tribunals.
He also noted that such offences are only prosecuted by Magistrate and State High Courts within the jurisdiction where they occur, often leading to delayed trials due to the courts’ engagement with a range of other cases.
This, he said, causes electoral offences to spill over from one general election to the next, impacting the efficient handling of cases.
“Electoral offences are carried over from one General Election to another, which sometimes affects the diligent prosecution of these cases.
It is therefore imperative that we renew our call for the creation of an Electoral Offences Tribunal that has specific jurisdiction and a limited timeframe for the swift dispensation of cases,” Yakubu said.
The INEC chairman pointed to the case of a returning officer in Akwa Ibom State as an example of the delays within the current system.
He revealed that it took nearly six years for the case, arising from the 2019 General Election, to reach a successful conviction in the trial court.
Yakubu also disclosed that INEC is actively prosecuting 774 electoral offenders from the 2023 general election, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to improving the electoral process and ensuring the prosecution of electoral misconduct.
The INEC Chairman further highlighted the progress made in the recently concluded Ondo State governorship election, which was widely seen as an improvement in terms of logistics and election technology.
He also acknowledged the efforts of INEC in tackling vote-buying through its collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
So far, successful prosecutions have been made in Kebbi and Kogi states, while additional cases are still being pursued in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe states.
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