THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to identify and arrest sponsors of electoral offences in Saturday, November 11, off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states.
The organisation also urged the electoral body to “name and shame” the offenders.
A statement dated November 11, and signed by SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, stated that if INEC was to live up to its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, it must take bold and effective measures to combat the culture of impunity for electoral bribery and violence in Nigeria.
According to the organisation, the recurring cases of electoral bribery and violence make a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory democracy.
The SERAP also urged INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to disclose the details of the amount spent on the off-cycle polls.
It stated that publishing the details of spending on elections in the three states was in the public interest.
According to SERAP, the governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states witnessed cases of electoral offences including electoral violence, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence.
“Reports of grave electoral offences in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states have shown that INEC and politicians have learnt little or nothing from the well-documented problems during the 2023 general elections.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel INEC to comply with our request in the public interest,” the statement added.
The organisation emphasised the importance of a transparent, effective, credible, inclusive, and broad-based investigation into these allegations, noting that the citizens would continue to lose confidence in the electoral process if the body failed to prosecute the offenders.
SERAP stressed that the proposed joint investigation should comprise INEC, anti-corruption, and law enforcement agencies, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and independent leaders and citizens’ groups from the three states.
“Electoral bribery and violence and other electoral offences undermine the ability of INEC to discharge its responsibilities under Section 153 of the Nigerian Constitution and paragraph 15(a) of the third schedule of the Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
“Electoral bribery and violence and other electoral offences reportedly committed during the off-cycle governorship elections in the three states are contrary to the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, and international standards,” the statement stressed.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M