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
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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