Electoral Cleanup Underway: INEC Initiates Prosecution of 1,076 Offenders, Ebonyi, Edo, Anambra Lead in Cases

In the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Police, is set to prosecute 1,076 electoral offenders apprehended across 35 states during the electoral exercise.

The collaborative effort extends beyond electoral infractions, with approximately 18 case files related to financial crimes during the elections slated for joint handling by INEC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Furthermore, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has forwarded one case file to INEC concerning the polls.

Breaking down the numbers, Ebonyi leads the states with 64 cases involving 216 suspects, followed by Edo with 22 cases and 80 suspects, and Anambra in third with 12 cases involving 66 suspects. The offenses range from culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms to the snatching and destruction of INEC items, possession of offensive weapons, misconduct at polling units, and stealing of election results.

NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, reiterated the association’s commitment to providing pro bono legal services for the prosecution of electoral offenders. In a recent letter to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Maikyau listed 191 lawyers, including 16 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), who have volunteered for the cases in various states.

Confirming this collaboration as unprecedented, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphasized that the suspects linked to the case files are in custody, thoroughly investigated, and the necessary evidence against them has been gathered. Letters of authority have been prepared and will be issued to the NBA team promptly to initiate proceedings on all the cases. However, it was noted that the NBA returned 26 case files to the commission for transmission to the Police, as these cases did not fall under electoral offenses as defined by the Electoral Act of 2022. Additionally, suspects in 22 cases are either at large or were never apprehended.