INEC prosecutes 200 electoral offenders – Jega

Abuja – Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman, said on Wednesday in Abuja that the commission had successfully prosecuted 200 of the 870,000 electoral offenders.

He said at the INEC/civil society dialogue on plans and progress toward the 2015 elections, that the prosecution was over offences arising from the 2011 voter registration and general elections.

Jega said the prosecution had been “a big problem’’ because of paucity of fund and manpower.

“In actual fact some of those apprehended have been prosecuted and convicted but the number is just too small compared to those remaining.

“A youth copper was also prosecuted and sentenced in Ondo for electoral manipulation.”

He said the police was in charge of prosecuting offenders until it was handed over to INEC, adding that the task was beyond the capacity of INEC and should not be left with the commission.

He said if INEC was saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders its major mandate would suffer because the quantum of offenders would be too much for the commission.

Jega called on government to work on the “Uwais panel report, on electoral reform, that recommended that a separate body should be set up to handle electoral offences”.  (NAN)