#TDWAJ Episode 339 – Electoral Vices: Offenses, Penalties, And Why We Must Vote Not Fight As Citizens

TOPIC

Electoral Vices: Offenses, Penalties, And Why We Must Vote Not Fight As Citizens.

INTRODUCTION

The Presidential and National Assembly polls will be held in five days’ time with the 93.4 million registered voters expected to turn up and vote to elect one President, 109 Senators, and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

This will be the seventh time since the advent of the fourth republic in 1999 that Nigerians will be doing so.

Since then, there have been different approaches to ensuring elections are free, fair, and credible – one of these has been the improvement of laws to tackle offenses before, during, and after elections.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered), the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and other guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC have several procedures to be followed as well as actions to desist from.

However, the Electoral Act lists a minimum of fifteen infractions within the electioneering period as can be found in Part Seven, Sections 114 to 129 of the Act. These offenses range from improper conduct to voter inducement, impersonation, possession of more than one Voter Card, acquisition or sale of Voter’s Card, and printing of ballot papers, among others.

These vices have different penalties attached to them.

What are the offenses?

What penalties are attached to them?

How can they hamper the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections?

Despite these, there have been reports of infractions in recent elections leading many to question whether stiffer penalties should be used or if there has been any prosecution in the past to serve as a deterrent.

Which actors are responsible for the prevention of these offenses?

With law enforcement agents participating at the polls, who can arrest perpetrators at the scene of commission of a crime?

What should be the incentive for citizens to vote and not fight?

These and more form the basis for this week’s ‘The Dialogue With Agba Jalingo’ with the topic: Electoral Vices: Offenses, Penalties, And Why We Must Vote Not Fight As Citizens.

Barrister Chris Utubaku, and Mr. Efio-Ita Nyok, a chartered mediator and consiliator were our guests.

You can also listen live via www.mixlr.com/hitfmcalabar.

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