INEC boss reviews the National Electoral Offences Commission Bill

Thu, Aug 25, 2022
By editor
3 MIN READ

Politics

By Kennedy Nnamani

PROFESSOR Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has again taken a quick glance at the Bill seeking to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission.

Prof. Yakubu made this review on Tuesday in Abuja during the public hearing organized by the House of Representatives committee on electoral matters

He noted that it has been part of all national conversations on constitutional and electoral reforms for the last 13 years.

Yakubu further recalled that the Bill had been recommended by the Justice Mohammed Uwais Committee on electoral reforms in 2009.

This recommendation was followed by the reaffirmation echoed by the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu Committee, following the post-election violence of 2011

In addition, Senator Ken Nnamani Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform in 2017 further solidified the need and called for this Bill.

Similar recommendations are contained in reports of police investigations, INEC administrative enquiries, court judgments, reports by the National Human Rights Commission as well as several accredited election observers.

The INEC boss also re-echoed the importance of the Bill, noting that the reform of the electoral process cannot be complete without effective sanctions on violators of the laws.

He highlighted the functions of the commission as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to include the registration and regulation of political parties, the monitoring of party and campaign finance, their primaries, congresses, meetings and conventions; nationwide Continuous Voter registration, CVR, and the maintenance of the national register of voters; creation of polling units; delimitation of electoral constituencies; voter education and publicity; management of electoral logistics; recruitment, training and deployment of election duty officials.

Other responsibilities are the conduct of numerous off-cycle and bye-elections; new innovations to promote inclusivity and electoral integrity; election security in consultation with the security agencies; strategic engagement with stakeholders; formulation of regulations, guidelines and manuals for the conduct of elections and electoral activities to give clarity to the provisions of the Constitution and Electoral Act; and maintenance of extensive physical assets (offices, residential accommodation and other facilities) nationwide.

However he stated that in many jurisdictions, some of these responsibilities are carried out by distinct and autonomous agencies.

Thus, it is obvious that these responsibilities have necessitated the recommendations proffered by the various committees mentioned earlier, calling for the formation of a distinct commission that would take the responsibilities to arrest offenders, conduct investigation that leads to successful prosecution of especially the high-profile offenders.

The chairman of the electoral umpire expressed that the commission would like to see more successful prosecution of offenders, not just ballot box snatchers, falsifiers of election results and vote buyers at polling units, but most importantly, their sponsors.

It is observed, however, that through the consolidated bill, enormous responsibilities and powers have been granted to the commission, including the powers to take over/or suspend a case already in the court of law.

KN

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