An electoral offence tribunal is once more being pushed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  ,
Due to the number of electoral offence cases that are currently being investigated, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, believes the move becomes crucial.
Mahmood addressed the media at the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting in Abuja on Friday.
The fact that electoral crimes are not time-bound as are those committed through tribunals is a major obstacle to the speedy delivery of justice in this regard. Additionally, the INEC chief told the audience that the Magistrate and State High Courts are the only ones who prosecute them in the country where the alleged crimes are committed.
Because of the variety of other cases that the courts handle, no particular place is given to these cases. In consequence, electoral crimes are transferred from one general election to another, which can sometimes affect the diligent prosecution of the cases. Therefore, it is crucial to reiterate our support for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal with a time limit and a specific court system to facilitate the swift resolution of cases.
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At the INEC Headquarters in Abuja, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission’s chairman, and members of the commission are currently holding their regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media.
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The INEC chair criticized the justice delivery system’s delay, citing the six-year-long verdict of a returning officer in Akwa Ibom.
“A Returning Officer’s recent successful prosecution in Akwa Ibom State serves as a case in point. The investigation into the 2019 General Election has been diligently pursued by the Commission. It took nearly six years for the trial court to hear the successful prosecution in this particular case,” he claimed.
Source: Channels TV
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