The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is once again advocating for the creation of a dedicated tribunal to address electoral offences, citing a mounting backlog of cases that hinder the timely delivery of justice.
Speaking at the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Friday, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, stressed the urgency of the move, emphasizing that electoral offences are currently not treated with the same urgency as post-election offences handled by tribunals.
“A major obstacle to swift justice is the fact that electoral offences lack a defined timeline for resolution, unlike post-election disputes, which are expedited through election tribunals,” Yakubu explained. “These offences are solely prosecuted in Magistrate and State High Courts within the jurisdictions where they occur, but given the range of cases courts handle, electoral offences often fall to the backburner.”
He pointed out that this systemic delay results in electoral offences being carried over from one general election to the next, which can compromise the quality of justice. “This is why we continue to call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal with specific jurisdiction and a limited timeframe to ensure these cases are dealt with swiftly and fairly.”
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu with members of the Commission is currently holding its regular quarterly consultative meeting with the Media at INEC Headquarters Abuja.
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Yakubu highlighted the significant delays in the justice system, citing the six-year wait for a conviction in a case involving a returning officer from Akwa Ibom State. “A case in point is the recent conviction of a returning officer from Akwa Ibom State, which took nearly six years to bring to trial, despite the Commission’s diligent pursuit of justice since the 2019 General Election,” he said.
The INEC chair also provided an update on ongoing efforts to prosecute electoral offenders from the 2023 General Election. Through collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), over 774 alleged offenders are currently being prosecuted, with successful convictions already recorded in Kebbi and Kogi States. Additionally, INEC’s partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying cases has led to progress in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe States. Despite these successes, many cases remain unresolved.
Yakubu’s comments underscore the pressing need for reforms in the handling of electoral offences to ensure timely justice and uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
AFP
