INEC Defends Electoral Offence Prosecution Amid SERAP Allegations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has strongly refuted allegations from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) regarding its handling of electoral offences from the 2023 general elections.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC clarified that constitutional protections shield governors and deputy governors from prosecution, countering SERAP’s claims of negligence in pursuing electoral offenders.

In a press release signed by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, the commission asserted, “Governors and deputy governors have constitutional immunity from prosecution. SERAP cannot be unaware of this constitutional provision.”

SERAP had alleged that INEC failed to act against various electoral malpractices, including vote-buying.

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However, INEC stated it has received 215 case files from the police, implicating 238 individuals in the presidential and national assembly elections, and 536 in the governorship and state assembly elections.

Olumekun emphasized, “If SERAP had done a basic fact check, it would have known that… the Commission announced that it received 215 case files… following the arrest and investigation of alleged violators of the electoral laws.”

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INEC also highlighted its ongoing collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the prosecution of electoral offenders. This partnership has already led to successful convictions in Kebbi and Kogi states.

Despite the slow pace of prosecutions, attributed to the absence of specific timelines for electoral offences, INEC advocates for legal reforms to expedite these processes. “The prosecution of electoral offences is very slow… unlike pre-election and post-election cases which must be determined within specific time frames,” INEC explained.