The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has called on the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, to make the prosecution of electoral offenders his top priority.
In a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged Amupitan to ensure that politicians and their sponsors responsible for electoral crimes such as vote-buying, bribery, and violence since 2015 are brought to justice.
The group said impunity for past electoral offences remains a major obstacle to free and fair elections in Nigeria, stressing that the next INEC leadership must end this culture of lawlessness.
SERAP also advised Amupitan to push for reforms to the Electoral Act 2022 to guarantee timely prosecution of offenders and better access to justice for voters.
President Bola Tinubu had nominated Professor Amupitan last week to succeed Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chairman. His confirmation is now before the Senate.
News edited by Peace Araga