BY DAPO AKINREFON
LAGOS — EMINENT Nigerians, yesterday, expressed diverse views on the Federal Government’s approval of the establishment of a Special Election Offences Tribunal.

The Federal Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved the establishment as a step to check election violence.

It’s a fraudulent act  — Sagay

Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, faulted the tribunal, noting that the tribunal’s jurisdiction should include trial of electoral fraud and rigging.

Sagay accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led government of allegedly trying to deceive the nation, adding that the tribunal should also prosecute electoral offenders and riggers.

He said: “When I read it, what came to my mind is that it is a fraudulent device. I say that because on reading the newspapers, it was reported that it was limited to election violence. That is not the problem with us, our problem is election rigging and fraud. Honestly, the way I see it is that the PDP is deceiving the whole country and diverting our attention to violence when the main thing they thrive on is rigging and fraud. As long as that is not done, I am not interested in it  because it is fraudulent.

Speaking further, he said: “That tribunal should cover everything; it should cover electoral fraud, it should cover election rigging so that those who are rigging elections will also be punished not just those who are violent.”

It’ll reduce election violence  — Balarabe Musa

National Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said the establishment would reduce election violence, adding: “INEC needs a special court to try cases of election violence.”

Musa, however, urged that the tribunal should try cases of violence arising from the 2011 elections to stop perpetrators from being violent during the 2015 polls.

According to him, “If it will start with the next elections, it does not make sense; it should start with previous elections.”

I support it — Aturu

On his part, rights crusader, Mr Bamidele Aturu, said: “My view is that it is a welcome development but government needs to show very clearly that all those who participate in rigging elections are made to pay dearly for it. And once this is done, I believe that many of the hoodlums who engage in this act will go out of circulation.”

It’s a welcome devt but… —SNG

In the same vein, the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, described the decision as a welcome development

Speaking on behalf of the SNG, its spokesperson, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said: “It is a plus for government on one side in respect to which the reason why people continue to engage in electoral offences is because those who engage in it have never been prosecuted. By the time we have such a tribunal, we are going to measure their performances.

“On the other hand, if you don’t conduct credible elections, the setting up of a tribunal to prosecute electoral offenders is a waste of time, that is a mockery of the process. The government that is setting up the tribunal must ensure that we have credible elections because if we have credible elections, there won’t be need to set up tribunals to prosecute offenders.”

It’s a good one — CPC stalwart

A chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr David Aghanya, also hailed the planned establishment. “INEC needs a special court to hasten up crucial legal issues. In fact, we advocate that the EFCC and ICPC should also have special courts,” he said.

No need for special court — PPP chairman

However, the National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Party, Mr Damian Ogbonna, kicked against the plan, saying there was no need for such special courts.

Ogbonna said that the regular courts should be able to accommodate all cases.

He said: “It is unnecessary; our regular court system is okay; the investigators and prosecutors are still the same Nigerian police.”