The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced February 18 for the 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu stated this at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to establish a National Electoral Offences Commission, organised by the Senate Committee on INEC.
Prof Yakubu advocated stiff penalties against electoral offenders, saying the Commission was anxious to know the legal framework to govern the polls.
13 years after the recommendation by Justice Mohammed Uwais for the establishment of National Electoral Offences Commission, and many other committee reports on the same, “we are here today at this historic event to make inputs into this bill”, he said.
He added that since the 2015 election, 124 cases of electoral offences were prosecuted with only 60 convictions.
He commended the leadership of the national assembly for the new bill.
RN