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| Nigeria lawmakers |
The Executive Director, Partners for Election Reforms, Ezenwa Nwagwu, on Friday, said federal lawmakers might be hesitant to pass the Election Offences Tribunal Bill of the Federal Government because of the repercussions for criminality during elections.
Nwagwu, in an interview with newsmen, noted that setting up an Electoral Offences Tribunal meant that politicians would be made to account for their actions when they misbehaved in the course of polls.
He said, “Politicians are the ones who will make these laws, and if there is going to be a body which will constrain or restrict them, they will not be too enthusiastic in passing such laws. When such a body is established, it means that those who take the law into their hands are punished.
“The sad thing is, when a person is assaulted or even killed, it is treated as part of the election even when it is a clear case of criminality.
“Crimes that are committed during the election period are treated like things that come with the elections, even crimes of the highest level such as arson and murder, sometimes with the connivance of security.”
Nwagwu noted that some of those arrested might never be prosecuted.
Citing the September 22 Osun State governorship election, He stated, “At the end of the day, we don’t have an investigating police officer to prosecute that matter.
“We need a special place where these matters can be taken to and properly tracked so that people can pay for the crimes they commit.
“Since we know that democracy has come to stay in this country, we know that we are going to be having elections – whether on or off season. So, we need an institution that deals with the things that will come out of those processes that will be a deterrent.”
Nwagwu, in an interview with newsmen, noted that setting up an Electoral Offences Tribunal meant that politicians would be made to account for their actions when they misbehaved in the course of polls.
He said, “Politicians are the ones who will make these laws, and if there is going to be a body which will constrain or restrict them, they will not be too enthusiastic in passing such laws. When such a body is established, it means that those who take the law into their hands are punished.
“The sad thing is, when a person is assaulted or even killed, it is treated as part of the election even when it is a clear case of criminality.
“Crimes that are committed during the election period are treated like things that come with the elections, even crimes of the highest level such as arson and murder, sometimes with the connivance of security.”
Nwagwu noted that some of those arrested might never be prosecuted.
Citing the September 22 Osun State governorship election, He stated, “At the end of the day, we don’t have an investigating police officer to prosecute that matter.
“We need a special place where these matters can be taken to and properly tracked so that people can pay for the crimes they commit.
“Since we know that democracy has come to stay in this country, we know that we are going to be having elections – whether on or off season. So, we need an institution that deals with the things that will come out of those processes that will be a deterrent.”
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