AUCHI (EDO) – Some legal practitioners in Edo on Friday called for the amendment of the electoral laws to enable INEC to try electoral offenders in the country.
The lawyers, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Auchi, Edo, said that the process would deepen the country’s democracy.
Mr Mahammud Garuba said the process would speed up election cases in the country.
“INEC should be given the power to try electoral offenders and when that room is created then prosecution of electoral offences would be very fast,’’ he said.
Garuba said that the responsibility of INEC should not be limited to conducting election, adding that the commission should be empowered to also try electoral offenders.
“The business of INEC should not only be to conduct election, but they should also be given the power to try electoral offenders.
“For instance, EFCC has the power to prosecute; ICPC has power to prosecute; why is the INEC own different,’’ he said.
Mr Davidson Alegbe said that the amendment of the electoral law would give INEC the statutory power to try electoral offenders.
He said that if the law was amended the idea of interference in election cases by political parties would reduce drastically.
“If INEC is given the power to prosecute electoral offenders, the issue of interference from the politicians and political parties would reduce and this would be in general interest of Nigerians,’’ he said.
Mr Simon Mokidi said that the Electoral Act of 2010 created various electoral offences.
“Now if you look at the Electoral Act from Section 117 to Section 128, it creates various electoral offences and these range from pre-election offences to offences during election proper.
“This would further entrench democratic principle in the country,’’ he said. (NAN)
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