The foundations of democracy in Nigeria continue to be undermined, and trust in the electoral process is eroded when electoral offenders escape justice.
Development Diaries reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently announced that 191 case files of electoral offenders in the last elections have been prepared for prosecution.
INEC noted that it has concluded plans with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the police to prosecute at least 1, 076 electoral offenders arrested across 35 states during the 2023 elections.
While INEC is doing its job on the identification of electoral offenders, it is not enough to just reveal the number of offenders with an assurance of prosecution; this time around, Nigerians want to see the outcome of the prosecution.
Without a clear and robust system of punishment, electoral offenses will persist, undermining the trust of citizens in the electoral process and eroding the foundation of a healthy democracy.
Recall that INEC earlier this month revealed that the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria, Hudu Ari, and his surety were allegedly on the run, and Ari’s lawyer recently claimed that his client had fled Nigeria to neigbouring Niger.
INEC can bring an end to blatant manipulation of the democratic process by members of the political elite and their allies if electoral offenders are indeed prosecuted.
In accordance with the Electoral Act, 2022, some offences attract penalties, which, on conviction, may be a fine, a term of imprisonment, or both. However, Nigerians do not get to know about the conviction status of these offenders.
Lack of accountability can lead to a vicious cycle of electoral misconduct, as offenders may feel emboldened to repeat their actions in subsequent elections.
Development Diaries calls on INEC to ensure that offenders are convicted for their crimes and punished accordingly. We also demand that the Nigerian police and other security operatives expedite their investigation into the electoral offences resulting from the off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi.
Photo source: INEC
