3 weeks ago
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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Professor Joash Amupitan, the recently nominated president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “prioritise and guarantee the effectual prosecution of politicians and their sponsors who are suspected to beryllium liable for electoral offences, including violence, bribery, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue power during the wide elections and off-cycle elections since 2015.”
SERAP urged him to “prioritise the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 to guarantee the behaviour of escaped and just elections successful 2027, successful conformity with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s planetary obligations.”
SERAP besides urged him to “ensure that immoderate betterment of the Electoral Act includes provisions for the timely prosecution of electoral offences and entree of voters to justness and effectual remedies for violations of their cardinal rights.”
President Bola Tinubu had past week nominated Amupitan arsenic the caller INEC chair. If confirmed by the Senate, helium volition regenerate Mahmood Yakubu, who near the presumption past week, weeks earlier the expiration of his 2nd word of 5 years.
In the missive dated 11 October 2025 and signed by SERAP lawman manager Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Impunity for past electoral offences is simply a large obstruction to escaped and just elections successful Nigeria. Mr Amupitan indispensable show that INEC nether his ticker would not tolerate electoral offences successful the country’s elections.”
SERAP said, “Unless the bequest of impunity for these sedate electoral offences is combated and perpetrators, particularly high-ranking politicians and their sponsors are efficaciously prosecuted and voters provided with entree to justice, those contemplating electoral crimes volition consciousness unconstrained successful aboriginal elections.”
According to SERAP, “the wide elections and off-cycle elections conducted since 2015 person been characterised by sedate electoral offences, including violence, bribery, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence, making a mockery of INEC.”
The letter, work successful part: “High-ranking politicians and their sponsors are seldom brought to justness for electoral offences, reinforcing a civilization of impunity for violations of Nigerians’ antiauthoritarian rights.”
“There cannot beryllium a just electoral process if the assemblage managing the electoral process fails to guarantee the effectual probe and prosecution of electoral offences and entree of voters to justness and effectual remedies.”
“No close is much precious successful a antiauthoritarian nine than that of having a dependable successful the predetermination of those who govern the citizens, and different rights, adjacent the astir basic, are illusory if unresolved electoral offences are not thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, and voters are not provided with entree to justice.”
“We would beryllium grateful if the recommended measures are taken upon your confirmation by the Senate and your presumption of office. Should you and INEC neglect to enactment arsenic recommended, SERAP shall see due ineligible actions to compel you and INEC to comply with our petition successful the nationalist interest.”
“The persistent nonaccomplishment by INEC enactment to guarantee the effectual probe and prosecution of electoral offences makes a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory ideology and undermines nationalist spot successful the electoral body.”
“The 2027 wide elections and the off-cycle elections are important for the promotion and extortion of the quality rights of Nigerians.”
“Ensuring accountability and ending the impunity of perpetrators of electoral offences would heighten Nigerians’ rights to enactment successful their ain authorities including to ballot successful escaped and just elections, arsenic good arsenic guarantee respect for the regularisation of law.”
“The effectual prosecution of electoral offences and entree of voters to justness and effectual remedies would service a morganatic aim, namely, the due functioning and attraction of the antiauthoritarian and electoral processes.”
“It would besides heighten the integrity of the electoral process and nationalist spot and assurance successful the quality of INEC nether your enactment to impartially and independently transportation retired your responsibilities.”
“The situation confronting the country’s elections and deficiency of nationalist spot and assurance successful ...
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