The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed its call for the creation of the electoral offences tribunal to ensure speedy prosecution of electoral offenders.

INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu made the call on Friday in Abuja during the commission’s regular quarterly consultative meeting with media executives.

Mr Yakubu also emphasised the need for reforms and limited time for the prosecution of electoral offenders.

He said the judicial and legislative action in the last few days underscored INEC’s effort to deal with offences involving commission officials and the challenges in dealing with electoral offences. The INEC boss cited the prosecution of Akwa Ibom returning officer over a case from 2019

“Through our collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), cases involving 774 alleged offenders from the 2023 general election are being prosecuted,” he said.

The chairman said that so far, successful prosecutions had been recorded in Kogi and Kebbi.

He added that INEC’s collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying had also yielded similar results in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe States.

According to him, electoral offences are not time-bound, as with post-election offences through the tribunals; hence, many cases are still pending.

“This is a major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice,” said Mr Yakubu. “Electoral offences are solely prosecuted by the magistrate and state high courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged offences are committed.”

“Priority attention is not given to such cases as the courts deal with a variety of other cases.

“It is, therefore, imperative to renew our call for the creation of the electoral offences tribunal that has a specific jurisdiction and limited time frame for the speedy dispensation of cases.”

The INEC chairman also appealed for the continuous support of all stakeholders, especially in critical areas of reforms, including the conduct of by-elections, which was on the increase.

“In the last three weeks alone, vacancies have occurred in one federal constituency and two state constituencies caused by the deaths of serving members. In another state constituency, the assembly declared the seat vacant as a result of absenteeism.

“This followed the prolonged absence of the member from the assembly sittings in violation of Section 109(1)[f] of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999,’’ Mr Yakubu said.

He called for media support for the successful conduct of the Anambra governorship and FCT area council elections and expressed INEC’s commitment to continuously improving the electoral process.

Also, the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya, expressed the need for the National Assembly to set in motion the establishment of a special tribunal for electoral offenders.

Mr Yahaya, represented by his national secretary, Achike Chude, also tasked INEC with measures to reduce the cost of conducting elections in the country.

(NAN)