The bill to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission and Electoral Offences Tribunal seems to be gaining some momentum with the House of Representatives expected to consider it for Second Reading this week, according to its Notice Paper. It will be recalled that the Senate had passed the bill for Second Reading in March 2021, conducted a Public Hearing on it in April 2021 and passed it for Third Reading in July 2021.
The establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission was a recommendation of the Uwais Committee, set up by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to make recommendations on electoral reform following the conclusion of the 2007 general elections, which were widely characterised by malpractices.
The growing trend of electoral offences has plagued Nigeria’s elections for so long, with several offenders going scot-free. Civil Society groups have made several calls for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to effectively tackle electoral malpractices and bring perpetrators to book. Observers believe that this will reduce the burden on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections and deal with other related issues.