By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
The Litigation and Prosecution officer of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, Barrister Fodio Saidu, has said to the best of his understanding, the electoral Commission is currently not prosecuting anybody over any infraction or electoral offenses from the 2023 general election.
Barrister Saidu who made this disclosure in response to a question asked by a concerned stakeholder on whether any offender is being prosecuted after the 2023 general election, added that the relevant security agencies did not bring file of any electoral offender for prosecution.
According to him, INEC as a commission is not primarily saddled with the responsibility of arresting electoral offenders, but only prosecute if such alleged offenders are attested, investigated and their files brought to INEC by the Police.
Registering his displeasure over the response that nobody is under investigation or prosecution for electoral offences from the 2023 general elections in Sokoto, the State chairman of New Nigerian People's Party (NNPP), Abdulrauf Yusuf Gidadawa, said both the security agencies and INEC are not sincere, as according to him, lots of infractions were committed during the 2023 general elections.
"There are those whose electoral victories are fraudulent and they are still in power till date without any court giving order for cancellation and re-run, maybe because they belong to the party in power", he observed.
Speaking earlier on Tuesday at the State Electoral Stakeholders Forum on the preparation for the Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency, Bodinga North and Tambuwal West State Constituencies re-run election as ordered by the Court, INEC Adminstrative Secretary in Sokoto State, Barrister Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa, said elections shall be conducted in 18 Registration Areas, 64 Polling Units across 4 LGAs of Yabo, Shagari, Bodinga and Tambuwal respectively.
While noting that campaigns in tbe affected areas have commenced after their publication since 5th January, 2024, Barrister Hauwa insisted that, the campaigns will end on the 1st of February, 2024 as election will be holding on the 3rd of February, 2024.
Hauwa who reassured that INEC is fully prepared to deliver fair, credible and transparent election, however added that they will also use BVAS for accreditation and voting. NNL.
