SERAP Drags INEC to Court over Failure to Prosecute Ekiti Vote Buyers

A civil society organisation, SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the commission’s failure to prosecute Ekiti State vote buyers or take actions about the allegations of vote-buying by both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during recent governorship election in Ekiti State.

In the suit number FHC/L/ CS/1418/18 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking an order for leave to apply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus compelling INEC and its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to instruct security agencies to forward to them reports of their investigations into allegations of vote-buying during the governorship election in Ekiti State and to collaborate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence prosecution of indicted persons.

The suit followed the electoral commission’s response to SERAP last week saying that while it had powers to prosecute alleged vote buyers, it lacked the powers to arrest and investigate suspects.

In the letter signed by its acting Secretary, Okechukwu Ndeche, the electoral body said while the commission’s legal officers or any legal practitioner appointed by it “can prosecute alleged vote buying, other agencies must first arrest and investigate suspects before the commission can act on the matter.