- Says 200 offenders prosecuted
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that nearly 1 million eligible voters were found to have engaged in multiple registrations thereby committing electoral fraud.
This is even as the electoral commission has successfully prosecuted 200 offenders since the 2011 general elections. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, spoke yesterday on a morning programme popularly called Sunrise Daily on Channels television. He said: "On registration alone, we do have evidence to prosecute close to a million people for clear cases of multiple registrations."
Jega said contrary to public outcry that the electoral body was yet to prosecute those that were arrested over sundry electoral offences, the commission has tried 200 of such persons with varied judicial pronouncements. According to the INEC boss, the development was a noble and commendable. Jega said: "I want to say categorically that we have done our best.
We have prosecuted over 200 people successfully. "Before our commission was inaugurated, there was no record of a single successful prosecution of electoral offences."
While acknowledging the lack of adequate funds to prosecute the litany of electoral offences, he, however, disclosed that INEC had concluded plans to partner with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). This, he noted, was with a view to shifting the burden to another body for speedy trial. Jega said: "We are partnering with the NBA.
In fact, we have been discussing this partnership and now we are taking it a level higher and our hope is that before we commence the process of continuous voters' registration, which we hope will commence by the third quarters, which is July to September...
"We will do it, but it is very challenging. The best thing is to have another agency that can actually handle prosecution of electoral offenders." Speaking on the usual logistics challenges during elections, which often culminate in the late arrival of personnel as well as materials, Jega said: "I want to assure you that globally, there is no country where you can say it is 100 percent free of this challenge of late arrival of materials.
"Where it is necessary to move material by aircraft or helicopter, the navy helped us during the 2011 elections. Where it was to move it in the coastal areas, the navy helped us, and even provided security to minimise challenges arising from the activities of militants groups".
Also baring his mind on the implication of staggered elections in the polity, the INEC boss said: "Certainly, some staggering helps the process. The... staggering we have now, in terms of saying this kind of elections should take place now and then you sequence it; that kind of sequencing of major elections, I think has been helpful.
National Mirror