The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the speedy passage of the National Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill by the National Assembly would checkmate vote buying.
The bill meant to provide the legal framework for investigation and prosecution of electoral offences for the general improvement of the electoral process in Nigeria, on June 30, passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The Senate had in July 2021, passed a similar bill, which had seven parts and 48 sections, and sought to take the “burden” of prosecuting electoral offenders off INEC.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday, said if passed into law the bill would ensure speedy trial of electoral offenders.
He said if electoral offenders, including vote buyers and voter sellers, were arrested and quickly prosecuted, there would be more sanity in the 2023 general elections.
Agbaje, however, said the battle against vote buying, in whatever shapes or forms, must be fought to a standstill by all stakeholders in Nigeria.
“That is why the commission has been asking the National Assembly regularly to finish its work on the electoral offences commission and tribunal bill to become law.
“When we have this, it will be just be like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to monitor and investigate the menace of vote buying and other offences.
“It will be like security agency for INEC. Their job will be purposely for this and they will be all out on election day. Vote buyers and sellers are giving INEC a bad name, however, it is not the duty of INEC to monitor this,” he said.
Agbaje advised that all stakeholders should engage politicians on vote buying ahead of the 2023 general elections, and talk to them as actors sponsoring and encouraging this menace. He said security, judiciary, INEC, National Assembly, political parties, NGOs and other critical stakeholders had roles to play in fighting vote buying and vote selling.
He also decried the delay in prosecuting electoral offences in Nigeria, describing it as frustrating.
“When we see this kind of thing, we get frustrated. The judiciary also has to do something. What is the court waiting for in some of these electoral offences? In fact, in Kenya and other countries, within two hours, an electoral case will be judged. If people are jailed for electoral offences, I am sure by 2023, everybody will be careful; but because there is no punishment, people just feel they can do anything.
SERAP sues
According to reports, there was a brazen pattern of vote-buying and electoral bribery in several polling units during the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election, including bargaining prices for votes and payments made in uncompleted buildings.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1189/2022 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP sought “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to seek and obtain detailed information about reports of vote-buying by the three leading political parties in the 2022 Ekiti State governorship election.”
SERAP also sought “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to promptly and effectively prosecute those arrested, and to bring to justice anyone who sponsored, aided and abetted them.”
SUN NEWS
