INEC Engages 427 Lawyers To Prosecute 215 Electoral Offenders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has enlisted 427 lawyers to prosecute 215 electoral offenders involved in various malpractices during the 2023 general election.

The move, aimed at upholding the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system, was announced by the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting he held with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to internally review challenges recorded during the last election.

The commission said it wants to ensure that those who undermine the country’s democratic process are brought to justice and held accountable for their actions.

According to Yakubu, the legal professionals would be rendering their services without charge through a collaboration between INEC and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

“We are presently looking at all the evidence of infractions during the election, including the prosecution of offenders. We are looking at the activities of all actors involved in the election, including some of our high-ranking officials. I can confirm that the Nigeria Police concluded its investigation of the conduct of our Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State and submitted the case file to us. Appropriate action will be taken in a matter of days and Nigerians will be fully informed.

“I can also confirm that we have received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following their arrest and the conclusion of investigation into electoral offences arising from the 2023 General Election. We are working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the alleged offenders

“I can also confirm that we have received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following their arrest and the conclusion of investigation into electoral offences arising from the 2023 General Election. We are working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the alleged offenders. Already, the NBA has submitted a list of 427 lawyers across the country who have volunteered to render pro bono services to the Commission. They are not charging legal fees but by mutual agreement the Commission will provide a token amount to cover for filing fees/expenses. We are most grateful to NBA and its President, Yakubu Maikyau SAN, for this historic collaboration,” said the INEC boss.

The 2023 general election witnessed several instances of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and other associated violations that threatened the sanctity of the democratic process.

To address these challenges in future elections, INEC said it is also forging partnerships with key agencies to prosecute vote-buying and corruption-related cases.

“Similarly, we are working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the prosecution of cases relating to vote buying and associated violations,” he said.

Yakubu added, “In the next few weeks, several internal debriefing meetings will be held, culminating in engagements with stakeholders. I implore the Resident Electoral Commissioners, as senior officials of the Commission, to lead the discussion on all aspects of the election from preparations, conduct and aftermath frankly and constructively. Among other issues, I expect you to cover such specific areas as:

“i. Operational processes for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and general elections, including planning, organisation, coordination and evaluation of activities, focusing particularly on such specific issues as the issuance of voters’ cards, logistics, delivery of materials, deployment of personnel, etc.;

“ii. Legal framework for the conduct of elections with a view to addressing any key legal challenges that may have arisen prior to the 2023 General Election which were not envisaged before the election;

“iii. Technologies deployed in the electoral process, including the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED); INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV); Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); party nomination portal; observer, media and polling/collation agents’ accreditation portals etc., focusing particularly on their performance;

“iv. Effectiveness of overall administrative procedures and channels within the Commission in the coordination and execution of pre-election, election and post-election activities;

“v. Political party registration, party primaries and nomination of candidates for the 2023 General Election, as well as monitoring of the processes;

“vi. Process of recruitment, training, deployment and performance of all categories of ad-hoc staff during CVR and the General Election; and

“vii. Strengthening the Commission’s cooperation and relations with other bodies such as MDAs, NGOs etc. and any other issues in the electoral process that are likely to impact the work of the Commission in future.”