Electoral offences: Rights Commission to prosecute 118 politicians, institutions, others

National Human Rights Commission said it had over 118 indictment ranging from the political class to individuals and institutions for electoral offences. The Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, made the disclosure at the presentation of the “End Electoral Impunity” project report in Abuja on Thursday.

Angwe said the offences were committed in the 2007 and 2011 elections by the political class, individuals and various institutions that had the responsibility to conduct elections. He said the report was a follow up to an earlier report presented in 2014 where a list of those indicted was forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation for necessary actions.

He said: “With the finalisation of this report, that list has been upgraded and will also be sent to the AGF and State Attorneys-General. “We hope necessary steps will be taken to ensure that these people or institutions indicted are held accountable for their infractions during the 2007 and 2011 elections.”

The executive secretary said holding them accountable would surely curb electoral impunity in the country.

Angwe noted that unless steps were taken to deal with electoral impunity, the right to vote and be voted for and related rights would continued to be infringed upon.

He said the next step was for the commission to begin a holistic look into the 2015 elections as well.

He said: “The commission will soon commence public hearing to investigate those involved in hate speeches and violence in the 2015 election and even the 1999 elections.”

Presenting the report, Prof. Nsongurua Udombana, the Chairman of the Technical Working Group set up by the commission to execute the project, said those indicted included judges and lawyers.

Udombana said: “The TWG took hold of 2,731 certified judgments from the registry of the Court of Appeal covering 2007 and 2011 judgments. “We also conducted public hearings in Port Harcourt and Abuja where we heard a total of 29 witnesses drawn from INEC, political parties, members of the public, law enforcement agencies, academics and civil society. “We had a total of 20 criminal indictments, 49 criminal and administrative indictments, 38 administrative indictments, four administrative and judicial indictments, seven judicial indictments and three professional indictments.” The group recommended, among others, that the Presidency should direct the AGF to prioritise the investigation and prosecution of election-related crimes.

Also recommended was the publication of names of all Independent National Electoral Commission officials who had been the subject of administrative procedures related to electoral malpractice since 1999.

The group further recommend amendment of relevant sections of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly to render anyone convicted of corrupt practices or other crimes ineligible to contest elections.

 In a remark, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, emphasised the need to drive the electoral process with discipline. Yakubu, who was represented by Solomon Soyebi, a Commissioner in the commission, said unless Nigerians realised that the ballot paper was a stronger weapon than gun, impunity in elections would continue.

On his part, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Osita Osita, said electoral impunity had the singular potential to scuttle Nigeria’s democracy.

Osita added that unless impunity was dealt with, there would be no peace in the country, and urged all agencies to tackle impunity within.