INEC Wants 10-Year Ban For Electoral Offenders

As the country nears another general election in 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution to enact a clause that would disqualify electoral offenders from contesting any election or holding any party position for a period of 10 years.

The electoral offences to attract similar punishments, according to the commission, include campaign finance breaches and breach of political party finance provisions.

Presenting the commission’s position during the committee’s one-day retreat on Electoral Act 2010, INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, said he wants the President and other persons to be barred from interfering in INEC’s operational functions.

Jega, who regretted that presently, only Nigerian citizens residing in the country at the time of registration of voters can vote at any election, also canvassed for Diaspora voting.

According to him, Nigerian citizens “who are of age, but resident abroad, should be allowed to participate in the governance of their country by being allowed to register and vote at elections”.