Senate Passes Bill To Establish Electoral Offences Commission

The Senate has  passed a bill for the  establishment of  the Electoral Offences Commission. 
The passage of the bill followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by Senator Kabiru Gaya
 Senator Kabiru Gaya, presenting the committee’s report said the bill seeks to provide  INEC an arm  to prosecute electoral offenders in accordance with the provisions of a section 149 and 150(2) of the Electoral Act (as Amended). 
 He recalled that various judicial committees in the past had recommended that for INEC to function efficiently, some of the functions currently performed by it should be assigned to other agencies.
His words  “ By the foregoing statistics, it is unrealistic to expect INEC to conduct free, fair and credible election and simultaneously prosecute Offences arising from the same elections.
 “Indeed, INEC has at several occasions admitted that it lacks the wherewithal to cleanse the system.
 “Its failure to prosecute even one percent 870,000 and over 900,000 alleged electoral Offences in 2011 and 2015 general elections respectively is an affirmation of the necessity for a paradigm shift on how we deal with electoral offences”, the lawmaker said.
 According to him, as a result of electoral flaws in the system, the Justice Uwais Electoral Committee; Sheik Nurudeen Lemu Committee; and Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee were constituted. 
Accordingly, the Senate during consideration of the INEC Committee report, approved the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission. 
 The Commission’s membership consists of the Chairman, Secretary  and representatives from the Justice, Interior, Defence, and Information Ministries. 
 The function of the Commission includes  investigating electoral Offences created in any laws relating to elections in Nigeria; prosecution of electoral offenders; and maintaining records of all persons investigated and prosecuted.

By:  Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi