- Pix above: Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chair
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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “over the failure to arrest and prosecute suspected perpetrators of grave electoral offences in the recently concluded off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1694/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to probe the allegations of electoral offences including electoral violence, in the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.”
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo.
SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to compel INEC to promptly and effectively prosecute suspected perpetrators of these grave electoral offences, and bring to justice anyone who sponsored, aided and abetted them.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose spending details on the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States, including the specific amount spent to conduct voter and civic education and details of the activities carried out in the three states.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring accountability for the grave electoral offences in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states. Granting the reliefs sought would compel INEC to live up to its constitutional and statutory responsibilities and end the impunity of electoral offenders.”
SERAP is also arguing that “the recurring cases of electoral bribery and violence make a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory democracy. The electoral offences in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states show that INEC has learnt little or nothing from the well-documented problems during the 2023 general elections.”
According to SERAP: “Unless INEC is compelled to arrest and prosecute suspected electoral offenders and their sponsors in the elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states, perpetrators would continue to enjoy impunity for their crimes.”
SERAP is arguing that “many years of allegations of electoral offences and the impunity of perpetrators and their sponsors have continued to undermine public trust and confidence in the electoral process and citizens’ right to participation.SERAP is also arguing that, “Electoral integrity is critical to a legitimate democracy. When the integrity of that process is compromised, the legitimacy of the government and the public confidence in public institutions is seriously undermined.”/PLEASE SHARE
