The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is once again advocating for the establishment of an electoral offence tribunal due to the growing backlog of electoral offence cases.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu emphasized the importance of this move during the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Friday.
He explained that one major obstacle to the timely resolution of these cases is that electoral offences are not bound by time limits, unlike post-election cases handled by tribunals. Additionally, electoral offences are only prosecuted by Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged offences occur, with no priority given to these cases as courts handle a wide range of matters.
As a result, electoral offences often carry over from one General Election to the next, hindering the efficient prosecution of such cases.
Yakubu reiterated the need for the creation of an Electoral Offences Tribunal with specific jurisdiction and a set timeframe to ensure swift justice. He also highlighted the delayed justice process, citing the example of the conviction of a returning officer in Akwa Ibom, which took six years.
