The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has renewed calls for the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal, stressing the need for a dedicated judicial body to handle cases of electoral malpractice.
Speaking at the first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Friday, Yakubu stated the challenges facing the prosecution of electoral offenders, noting that delays in the judicial system often result in cases lingering for years.
He cited the recent conviction of a Returning Officer in Akwa Ibom State, which took nearly six years to conclude as an example of the slow pace of justice.
The INEC Chairman explained that under the current system, electoral offences were prosecuted in magistrate and state high courts alongside other criminal cases, leading to significant delays
