The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate allegations of electoral offences against governors and their deputies.
Kolawole Oluwadare, the deputy director of SERAP, claimed that Section 52 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act permits INEC to appoint an independent counsel to look into the behavior of politicians in a letter dated March 25 and addressed to Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC.
According to the SERAP director, the counsel will be responsible for looking into claims of election violence as well as other electoral crimes like bribery “that may have been perpetrated by any state governors and/or their deputies.”
He declared that SERAP would file a lawsuit against INEC if the electoral body does not conduct the probe.
In order to identify any politicians and their sponsors suspected of being responsible for electoral violence and other electoral offenses during the elections, Oluwadare said that INEC should act quickly in cooperation with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other law enforcement agencies.
“Suspected perpetrators and their supporters have plainly behaved in breach of constitutional principles, international standards, and the Electoral Act by allegedly participating in election violence and other electoral offenses in such a flagrant manner.
“Electoral violence in future elections would be discouraged by identifying, apprehending, investigating, and prosecuting anyone suspected of committing electoral violence and other electoral offenses during the 2023 general elections.
We would appreciate it if actions were made right away to put the suggested measures into effect within 7 days of receiving and/or publishing this letter. If by then we have not heard from you, SERAP would consider taking necessary legal action to require INEC to abide by our request in the interest of the public.
