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The Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) on Wednesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that its plan to prosecute electoral offenders was implemented without further delay.
Malam Danjuma Mohammed, National Chairman of MRDD, made the plea during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
He said that anyone found to have allegedly violated the Electoral Act should be made to face the wrath of the Law.
It would be recalled that the Chairman, INEC Board of the Electoral Institute, Prof. Lai Olurode, said last week that the commission would soon begin the trial of about one million suspects over alleged offences arising from the 2011 voter registration exercise and the general elections.
He said that?INEC was collaborating with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate their prosecution at minimal costs, adding that Bauchi, Zamfara, Gombe and Bayelsa?were among states with the highest number of suspects.
“INEC has to guarantee its sincerity in the exercise, no matter the positions that the suspects hold, they should be made to face the law.
“The commission is ready to fish out all the alleged suspects and bring them to book,’’ he said.
According to him, INEC has the capacity to prosecute electoral offenders but political will must be applied.
The Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, an NGO, Mr Innocent Chukwuma, wondered why INEC had to wait about a year before making arrangements to prosecute alleged electoral offenders, saying that the issue was almost going out of relevance.?
“My major concern is why did they have to wait for a year after the incidents before arranging to prosecute the suspects; if the witnesses have not showed up all this while, how are they sure they will be able to get them now?
“Why did they have to wait till all of one year to begin to commence prosecution arrangements when they knew that evidence and all other available information may become devalued with time,’’ he noted.
In his reaction, the National Chairman, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, also urged INEC to take urgent steps to prosecute the electoral suspects.
He said if the commission succeeds in prosecuting the electoral offenders, it would have gone a long way in cultivating the confidence of the electorate in its activities. ?
“Obviously, if they succeed in prosecuting the electoral offenders, it will give INEC?a lot of credibility– both here?at home and outside the country,’’ he said. (NAN)