LAGOS, Nigeria — A prominent Nigerian civil society group on Sunday urged the incoming head of the country’s electoral commission to make ending impunity for election-related crimes his top priority, calling for the prosecution of politicians responsible for offenses dating back to 2015.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) issued the call to Professor Joash Amupitan, who was nominated last week by President Bola Tinubu to be the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In an open letter, the group pressed Amupitan to “prioritise and ensure the effective prosecution of politicians and their sponsors who are suspected to be responsible for electoral offences, including violence, bribery, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence.”
Amupitan’s nomination is pending confirmation by the Senate. He is slated to replace Mahmood Yakubu, who departed the post weeks before his second five-year term was set to expire.
SERAP argued that a failure to hold offenders accountable has damaged faith in the country’s democratic process.
“Impunity for past electoral offences is a major barrier to free and fair elections in Nigeria,” said SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare in the letter dated Oct. 11. “Mr Amupitan must demonstrate that INEC under his watch would not tolerate electoral offences.”
The organization contended that general and off-cycle elections since 2015 have been marred by serious crimes, yet “high-ranking politicians and their sponsors are rarely brought to justice, reinforcing a culture of impunity.”
“Unless the legacy of impunity for these grave electoral offences is combated and perpetrators… are effectively prosecuted… those contemplating electoral crimes will feel unconstrained in future elections,” SERAP stated.
Beyond prosecutions, SERAP also called on the nominee to push for amendments to the Electoral Act of 2022 to guarantee free and fair elections in 2027 and provide voters with “access to justice and effective remedies” for rights violations.
The group warned it would take legal action if its recommendations were ignored following Amupitan’s confirmation.
“Should you and INEC fail to act as recommended, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel you and INEC to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter read.
By Gabriel Ani
