Independent National Electoral Commission has identified electoral offences as one of

the major threats to free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria in view of the upcoming

Edo State Governorship Elections.

The Commission said, electoral offences have also increase political tension and trigger

violence in some quarters of the state.

Head, Legal Department, Legal Services, INEC office, Edo State, Rita Amadi, who

disclosed the assertion in a paper presented at a one-day engagement with youth

groups in Edo State on the role of youths ahead of the September 21, 2024

governorship election, represented by Oba Agbonifo, a legal officer in the Benin office,

in her paper titled, ‘Electoral Offences and Penalties’, said the essence of the

presentation was to intimate the electorate especially the youths of the existence and

applicability of the electoral laws as well as punishment and penalties when breached,

adding that, the prosecution of electoral offences in Nigeria which has become a

herculean task.

According to her, one of the major hurdles against the effective prosecution of electoral

offences is the abject inefficiency of criminal investigation in Nigeria, adding that, efforts

at mitigating electoral offences could only become effective with the arrest, prosecution

and sanctioning of the offenders, to end the reign of impunity.

The INEC legal officer said the commission’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu,

said, “although the commission is empowered by the Electoral Act to prosecute

electoral offences, it lacks the power and resources to make arrests and thoroughly

investigate the offences, and advised all political stakeholders to assist the Commission

to fulfil its mandate as an election management body by enlightening its agents,

supporters or partners to do away with the “do or die” mentality in the electioneering

process.