The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has called for the establishment of a dedicated electoral offences tribunal to fast-track the prosecution of electoral offenders in Nigeria.
Yakubu appealed during INEC’s first quarterly consultative meeting with media executives and the INEC Press Corps at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He lamented the slow pace of electoral offence trials, revealing that it took nearly six years to secure a successful prosecution at the trial court.
The INEC boss noted that, through INEC’s partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), 774 alleged offenders from the 2023 general election are currently being prosecuted.
Highlighting the challenges of electoral prosecutions, Yakubu emphasised that courts treat these cases alongside various other matters, causing delays that sometimes extend across multiple election cycles.
He cited successful convictions in Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, and Kogi states, as well as the commission’s collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in tackling vote-buying cases in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe states. However, he noted that many cases remain unresolved.
Providing updates on INEC’s upcoming elections, Yakubu confirmed that the Anambra governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Political parties interested in fielding candidates must conduct their primaries between March 20 and April 10, 2025.
Additionally, he announced that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, with party primaries and candidate nominations set to run from June 9 to June 30, 2025.
Yakubu reassured Nigerians of continuous electoral improvements, citing the widely praised management of logistics and technology in the recent Ondo governorship election.
Speaking at the meeting, the National Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Chude Achike, urged INEC to engage the media more actively in educating citizens on electoral processes.
He also encouraged the commission to address the irregularities witnessed in previous elections to restore public confidence.
