Bribery: EFCC quizzed 100 INEC workers, says Yakubu
Tue Aug 23, 2016 09:36:am Politics
2.8K By sosa hills
The Federal Government may have commenced a subtle clean-up of Nigeria's messy electoral turf, with the arrest of over 100 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for various electoral offences.
The INEC officials were reportedly picked up by the national anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although details of the periods the offences were allegedly committed are sketchy, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed the arrest and interrogation of the officials.
Prior to Yakubu's confirmation of the arrest of the INEC personnel, eminent Nigerians and organisations have been calling for severe sanctions on persons found to have been involved in electoral malpractices in all elections since Nigeria returned to full-blown democracy in 1999.
Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) indicted some former governors, a past chairman of INEC and some lawyers for taking actions that led to violence and sharp practices during the 2007 and 2011 elections.
The commission asked the Federal Government to prosecute the indicted Nigerian leaders.
Yakubu, who spoke when he visited some media organisations in Lagos, declared that the commission would not shield any of its personnel linked with any form of electoral malpractice.
However, he said that the commission would not fail to recognise officials who have excelled in their duties.
The INEC boss appealed to the Federal Government to establish the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal as recommended by the Justice Mohammed Uwais and Ahmed Lemu Commissions to sanitise the political and electoral processes.
Yakubu asserted that most inconclusive elections were caused largely by violence.
It was learnt that INEC has conducted 137 inconclusive elections across the country since Prof. Yakubu assumed office.
He said that the only way to end the spectre of violence in the country's electoral system was to evolve mechanisms for punishing offenders.
Yakubu said: "So far, no fewer than 100 members of staff of the Commission have been invited by the EFCC and that based on revelations, the number keeps increasing. At a point, we toyed with the idea of speaking to the EFCC to see the weight of evidence they have so that we can take administrative actions against our members of staff, but they are innocent until they are proven guilty.
They have to be charged to court, but we have taken notice and we have a complete list.
"Though the list of invited members of staff kept increasing, the Commission is cooperating with the EFCC and ultimately those who are culpable will be shown the way out. Any nation that does not punish violators is doomed because there are people who believe that they can do anything and get away with it," he said.
The INEC officials were reportedly picked up by the national anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although details of the periods the offences were allegedly committed are sketchy, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed the arrest and interrogation of the officials.
Prior to Yakubu's confirmation of the arrest of the INEC personnel, eminent Nigerians and organisations have been calling for severe sanctions on persons found to have been involved in electoral malpractices in all elections since Nigeria returned to full-blown democracy in 1999.
Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) indicted some former governors, a past chairman of INEC and some lawyers for taking actions that led to violence and sharp practices during the 2007 and 2011 elections.
The commission asked the Federal Government to prosecute the indicted Nigerian leaders.
Yakubu, who spoke when he visited some media organisations in Lagos, declared that the commission would not shield any of its personnel linked with any form of electoral malpractice.
However, he said that the commission would not fail to recognise officials who have excelled in their duties.
The INEC boss appealed to the Federal Government to establish the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal as recommended by the Justice Mohammed Uwais and Ahmed Lemu Commissions to sanitise the political and electoral processes.
Yakubu asserted that most inconclusive elections were caused largely by violence.
It was learnt that INEC has conducted 137 inconclusive elections across the country since Prof. Yakubu assumed office.
He said that the only way to end the spectre of violence in the country's electoral system was to evolve mechanisms for punishing offenders.
Yakubu said: "So far, no fewer than 100 members of staff of the Commission have been invited by the EFCC and that based on revelations, the number keeps increasing. At a point, we toyed with the idea of speaking to the EFCC to see the weight of evidence they have so that we can take administrative actions against our members of staff, but they are innocent until they are proven guilty.
They have to be charged to court, but we have taken notice and we have a complete list.
"Though the list of invited members of staff kept increasing, the Commission is cooperating with the EFCC and ultimately those who are culpable will be shown the way out. Any nation that does not punish violators is doomed because there are people who believe that they can do anything and get away with it," he said.
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