By The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, yesterday disclosed that the electoral umpire has secured 61 successful prosecutions since 2015. He disclosed that the commission had received 120 case files on different electoral offences from the Police.
Prof Yakubu stated this when he received members of the Inspector General of Police’s Investigative Team on Rivers Re-run Election in Abuja. The INEC boss, who promised to give full support to the Police investigative team, appreciated the assistance of the police and other security agencies in the prosecution of electoral offenders.
He stated that the commission had conducted 163 elections under his leadership and had six more to conduct in the next 60 days.
He also revealed that the commission had set up an internal administrative panel to investigate and deal with any staff found wanting, in accordance with the law.
“The most important thing in this situation is to learn lessons. So far, since the last general elections, INEC has conducted 163 elections. We still have six more elections between this month January and next month, including the unfortunate death of a member of Delta State House of Assembly which occurred a week or so before Christmas.
“I want to assure the commission that we will give full cooperation to the security agencies in your investigations. Whatever may be required to facilitate the investigations from the commission, rest assured that the commission will be forthcoming.
“We have cooperated with security agencies especially the police in the course of prosecuting electoral offenders.
“Since 2015 general elections and the rerun elections in 2016, we have received 120 case files from the police for prosecution. And I am glad to say that we have recorded 61 successful prosecutions as a result of cooperation with the security agencies.
“The biggest one came from the disruption of April 2016 rerun elections in Kano State in a state constituency in Beji local government where over 20 offenders were successfully prosecuted in a joint effort between the commission and security agencies – the highest number of prosecutions that the commission has ever achieved.”
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation, deputy commissioner of police, Dan Okoro, said he was at the commission to interact and introduce members of the team to INEC officials and sought their maximum cooperation in the assignment.
