NBA Demands Prosecution Of INEC Officials Caught Rigging Election

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has called for the immediate prosecution of any official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, found to have engaged in misconduct in the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections.

The NBA made the recommendations in its “Interim Report of the Presidential & National Assembly Elections” signed by the NBA president, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, and made available to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday.

The NBA also urged the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu to exclude suspected officials from the forthcoming governorship election on March 11.

“All INEC staff (including collation and returning officers) with proven cases of misconduct in the 25 February 2023 election be excluded from the 11 March 2023 election, without prejudice to further disciplinary action including criminal prosecution, where appropriate,” the report stated.

Maikyau disclosed that the association’s national observers identified other germane issues with the 2023 presidential polls, advising the electoral umpire to fix them.

Based on its observation, he urged INEC to ensure that election materials are dispatched on time to the Polling Units so that the accreditation process will commence on time, adding such will ensure that registered voters are opportuned to exercise their franchise.

“INEC should make provisions at all PUs for persons living with disabilities.

“INEC should ensure that all bugs or glitches in the BVAs machines and other election technology are fixed and improved for the 11 March 2023 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, to reduce technical issues experienced in the 25 February elections.

“INEC should ensure further training of its polling staff on the use of BVAS machines, including how to upload the results of the elections directly from the PUs to its result portal.

“INEC should urgently investigate all petitions received on the elections and ensure effective and transparent redress,” the report recommended.

Also, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba was urged to urgently “convene a review of the conduct of its officers during the Presidential and National Assembly elections with a view to identifying and disciplining officers who are found complicit in the violation of the Electoral Act and the Police Act.”

The NBA recommendations come on the heels of other criticisms by international observers and civil society organizations.

A United Nations-supported in-depth research hub, Yiaga Africa, lately described the 2023 elections Presidential and NASS elections as “a missed opportunity with factors like the serious logistical and technological shortcomings undermining public confidence in INEC and the outcome.”

As for the European Union observers in the country, there was “lack of transparency” due to the electoral umpire’s failure to immediately transmit results from the polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.