By Olayinka Ajayi

NATIONAL Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday, said as long as violators of electoral laws are not penalized, elections in Nigeria will continue to have issues.

Fielding questions from newsmen at the opening of a retreat for INEC staff to review the electoral legal framework and make input to its amendment, in Lagos, Professor Mahmood, who also spoke on the issue of security during the 2019 elections said: “On the issue of security during elections, I think there is an amendment in 2015, and 2015 amendment provides broadly for the provision of security.

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“Particularly important for our election, for as long as violators of our electoral laws are not penalized we will continue to have issues with our elections. Take South Africa for instance, electoral violators are arrested and instantly prosecuted, in our case, committee after committee has recommended for the enactment of a law to set up the commission of the electoral offense. The Uwais electoral reform committee recommended it, stakeholders recommended it.

“We hope this time around before we go into a major election, we will have the electoral offense commission and the tribunal, to which all violators of our electoral laws would be subjected.”

Vanguard