INEC Tasks NASS On Speedy Passage of Electoral Offences Commission Bill
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed call for the speedy passage of the National Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill by the National Assembly that would checkmate vote buying.
The bill which will provide the legal framework for investigation and prosecution of electoral offences for the general improvement of the electoral process in Nigeria passed second reading in the House of Representatives on June 30.
The Senate had also passed a similar bill which had seven parts and 48 sections in July 2021.
Commenting on the bill, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, said the bill if passed into law would ensure speedy trial of electoral offenders.
Agbaje explained that if electoral offenders, including vote buyers and voter sellers, were arrested and quickly prosecuted, there would be more sanity in the 2023 general elections.
The INEC REC in Lagos State, affirmed that the battle against vote buying, in whatever shapes or forms, must be fought to a standstill by all stakeholders in Nigeria.
In his words: “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 charged all stakeholders that they should engage politicians on vote buying ahead of the 2023 general elections and talk to them as the actors sponsoring and encouraging this vote buying menace.
According to him, security, judiciary, INEC, National Assembly, political parties, NGOs and other critical stakeholders had roles to play in fighting vote buying and vote selling.
He lamented the delay in prosecuting electoral offences in Nigeria, describing it as frustrating and argued that the judiciary also has to do something.
He queried what the court is waiting for in some of these electoral offences, adding that 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,” Agbaje said.
