Bill to punish perpetrators of
electoral crimes in Nigeria has scaled second reading in the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill which was sponsored by
Senator Abubakar Kyari representing Borno North Senatorial district, and
Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
noted that the menace of electoral offences across the country was discrediting
the nation’s democratic values.
“A bill for an Act to establish
the National Electoral Offences Commission and for other matters connectedmrjereworh’,
Kyari submitted.
In his lead debate, Kyari said,
punishment of electoral offences which was part of statutory responsibilities
of INEC had not been effective, hence, there is need to establish an
administrative structure that deals with the ugly trend.
He said: “Section 149 150 of
electoral Act permits the Independent National Electoral Commission to punish
electoral offenders. Unfortunately, the electoral umpire had never prosecuted
one percent of offemders.”
According to him, the bill would
take the gauntlet, if passed into law, adding that there were voter apathy
among electorates which must be discouraged at all cost.
He explained that the proposed
Commission was not only in the interest of Nigerians, and the INEC itself, but
was in line with global best practices.
Kyari further explained: “The
INEC chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu has once said, if electoral offenders
were not punished, we will continue to face electoral offences.”
“Far away in Malaysia, they
established their own electoral offences Commission in 1954 and in Canada and
other places. Even Kenya has established it own last year.”
“The electoral offences
commission if established, will work with other security agencies.”
Reacting to the debate, Senate
Minority Whip, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha explained that no electoral offenders
has been prosecuted in the democratic history of Nigeria.
“Mr President, if this
responsibility is isolated from INEC, the electoral body will be conducting its
primary responsibilities effectively. It is not late, however, but it is better
to be late than never,” he said.
Senator Shehu Sani stressed that
the proposed commission would check electoral malpractices. He pointed that
electoral malpractices have become a culture, adding that the only way to cure
the menace was institutional approach.
Senator Kabiru Gaya representing
Kano South Senatorial district recalled that in 2007, there were attempts to
amend the electoral Act, but this is now the right time.
Having scaled second reading,
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki referred it to the Commission on INEC and
Judiciary to report back in four weeks.
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