2011 Polls: INEC Sues One Million Electoral Offenders

At least one million persons are to be prosecuted for various electoral offences from the 2011 voters registration and general elections, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the chairman, INEC Board of Electoral Institute, Prof. Lai Olurode, has said.

Olurode, who is also the National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Training and Research, told newsmen yesterday in Abuja the prosecution had been  “a big problem’’, because of paucity of funds and manpower.

He said the INEC was collaborating with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the prosecution at minimal costs, adding that Bauchi, Zamfara, Gombe and Bayelsa were among states with the highest number of suspects.

“In actual fact, some of those apprehended have been prosecuted and convicted but the number was just too small compared to those remaining, he remarked.

He said NBA as a body and stakeholder committed to sanitising electoral process in the country, had offered INEC a window that would lower the cost of prosecution.

“All over the country, there are NBA branches and the branch in each state will take up the case and prosecute for INEC at an agreed fee. NBA is seeing the service, as a public service and an effort to sanitise the electoral system in Nigeria.”

According to Olurode, prosecution of election offenders should not be left to INEC alone as it is a major mandate that should be saddled with another body.

Olurode called on the federal government to work on the report of the  Uwais Electoral Reform Panel which had recommended that a separate body should be set up to handle electoral offences.

Olurode called for increased INEC-police cooperation activities to facilitate prosecution of electoral offenders.

L-R: Vice President Namadi Sambo, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina and Gov Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State at a meeting of the Vice President with the Nigerian Community in Washington DC, last Friday