Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken a decisive step by filing a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their alleged failure to apprehend and prosecute suspects involved in severe electoral offenses during the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states.
In a lawsuit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1694/2023 filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, SERAP seeks a court order directing INEC to investigate the reported electoral offenses, particularly instances of electoral violence in the aforementioned states. A
Additionally, SERAP demands that INEC promptly and effectively prosecute those suspected of grave electoral offenses, as well as disclose spending specifics regarding the conducted voter and civic education activities in these states.
SERAP’s argument centers on the significant public interest in holding perpetrators of electoral crimes accountable. The organization asserts that granting these reliefs would compel INEC to fulfill its constitutional and statutory obligations, thereby curbing the impunity of electoral offenders.
The lawsuit, filed by SERAP’s legal team led by Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, underscores INEC’s constitutional duties to ensure accountability for electoral offenses and safeguard citizens’ voting rights in subsequent elections.
“The right to vote is fundamental and is the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the heart of representative government. Nigerians should have the final say in the election of governmental officials.
“Persistent cases of electoral offences in the country’s elections gravely violate Nigerians’ right to vote, which is central to the effective participation of every citizen.”
However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.