Politics
SAN Wants INEC To Investigate Electoral Offences
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Rotimi Jacobs, yesterday said that there was the need to grant the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the power to investigate electoral offences, to address the problem effectively.
Jacobs made the statement while facilitating a session at the two-day training for INEC legal officers and police officers in Lagos.
The training, which began last Monday, was organised by INEC with support from the European Union’s Centre for Electoral Support (ECES).
The lawyer said allowing the police to investigate electoral offences while restricting INEC to prosecution would not achieve much.
Jacobs explained that dealing with electoral offences successfully required tight co-ordination from the process of investigation to prosecution.
“We cannot really achieve much if the only thing INEC does is to prosecute electoral offences and lacks the power to investigate cases.
“We cannot do much when the police is saddled with investigation and INEC takes care of prosecution.
”Successful prosecution of electoral offences will require that INEC is the prosecuting and the investigative agency.
“Giving the agency the power to also investigate would ensure better co-ordination needed to address the problem,’’ he said.
Jacobs suggested that INEC could be empowered by the law to set up its department for the purpose of investigating electoral offences.
He said that with this, the commission would be able to handle cases from the beginning to the last day in court.
The lawyer described the problem of electoral malpractices as threat to democracy, as it undermined the credibility of elections.
He urged all stakeholders to take the necessary steps to ensure that the problem was kept at bay.
Earlier, the Chairman, INEC Legal Services, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, said even the function of prosecution of electoral offences was a burden on the commission.
She explained that the commission did not have the capacity to prosecute all cases in all parts of the country at the same time.
Agbamuche-Mbu said the function would be better handled by a special commission for electoral offences.
She explained that a bill for the establishment of the commission was receiving attention at the National Assembly and if eventually established, it would relieve INEC of the prosecutorial function and allow the commission to focus on its core functions.
The official said the commission in the mean time would do its best to deal with the problem of electoral malpractices.
“This training for our judicial officers and police officers is part of our efforts to ensure we do our best in the prosecution of cases,’’ she said.
Agbamuche-Mbu urged the beneficiaries of the training to apply what they had learned to their jobs, to achieve the commission’s objective.
He thanked ECES for supporting the training, urging the centre to continue to partner INEC in efforts to improve its competencies
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.