INEC Enlists Lawyers to Prosecute 197 Electoral Offenders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is gearing up to take legal action against 197 individuals implicated in electoral offenses during the February and March general elections. This week, letters will be dispatched to lawyers affiliated with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to initiate the prosecution process.

An INEC official, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed on Monday that the delay in issuing these letters was partly due to recent off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states over the weekend.

Having wrapped up the elections, the official stated that the appointed prosecutors should expect to receive their letters soon.

Several months after the general elections, INEC had not yet begun prosecuting the offenders listed in the 215 case files handed over by the police, as reported by the press.

While INEC had initially pledged to swiftly prosecute the suspects with the NBA’s assistance, a recent review of the case files revealed that only 197 cases involved electoral offenses. The remaining 18 cases pertained to crimes such as murder, falling outside INEC’s jurisdiction.

Addressing the current status on Monday, the INEC official informed The PUNCH that the lawyers were scheduled to receive their letters this week, were it not for the off-cycle polls on Saturday.

Explaining the delay, he said, “Well, because of the off-cycle elections that took place in the Kogi, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, the officer who is supposed to correct some of the letters travelled to one of the states (Imo State). Hopefully, the letter will be issued to the lawyers this week.”

When questioned about the status of the electoral offenders, the official mentioned, “I believe they are on bail but they can be brought to their various courts through their respective sureties when the prosecutions commence.”