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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has adopted a report of its Committee on Electoral and Political Matters, on a bill to set up an Electoral Offences Tribunal/ Electoral Offences Commission.
The report was adopted after a clause by clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole. The bill is expected to go for Third Reading and passed into law soon.
The proposed Electoral Offences Tribunal will try all electoral offences and acts of thuggery committed in electoral related matters.
On the other hand, the Electoral Offences Commission, when established, shall ensure that all persons suspected to have violated the Electoral Act or caused other persons to violate the Act are tried and punished.
The bill provides for a tribunal for each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory while the tribunal shall consist of the chairman, who shall be a judge of the High or Federal High Court and two other not below the rank of magistrate.
When the bill is passed into law, any person who engages in double registration, forges Voter’s Card, carries out voters registration in a place not designated for that purpose and, on conviction, shall be liable to a maximum fine of N100,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both. The bill also prescribes a maximum fine of N1million or imprisonment of 12 months or both, for any person convicted for selling, buying or deals on voters card.
In a related development, the House has also passed for Second Reading, a bill seeking a Sexual Offenders Register for persons convicted of sexual offences against minors.
