The establishment of electoral offences desks

As part of measures to ensure credible elections in the country, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has approved the establishment of electoral offences desks at the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja, and State Commands. While the Commissioner of Police, FCID, will head the electoral offences desk at the Force Headquarters, Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Departments will head such desks in the states.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the mandate of the electoral offences desk officers includes, among others, the collation and investigation of all electoral offences/complaints from members of the public or any quarters, with a view to determining culpability in line with the amended Electoral Act 2022. They are also expected to proffer charges before courts of competent jurisdiction for necessary legal action. To underscore the need for the initiative, the IGP has tasked the Desk to commence actions immediately with some isolated cases recorded during the pre-election activities, such as screening, conventions, primaries and others.

Although a little bit belated, we commend the police authorities for establishing the electoral offences desks across the country. Over time, electoral offences have constituted major drawbacks to having free, fair and transparent elections as well as the development of our democracy.

Electoral offences, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), include registering more than once for an election, unlawful possession of a voter’s card and selling or buying of voters’ cards. Others are ballot box snatching, supplying voter’s card to persons without due authority, unauthorised printing of voters’ register, illegal printing of ballot paper or electoral document, and importation of any device or mechanism by which ballot paper or results of elections may be extracted, affected or manipulated, and voting at an election when one is not entitled to vote.

Some other electoral infractions include preventing any person from voting at the polling station, willfully rejecting or refusing to count any ballot paper validly cast, counting any ballot paper not validly cast, giving false evidence or withholding evidence, and announcing or declaring a false result at an election. It is also an electoral offence for INEC security personnel, or State Electoral Commissioner or election official to influence the outcome of an election. Also, the use of hate speech to stir up ethnic, religious or racial hatred, social or political insecurity or violence against anyone or group of persons constitute electoral offences. The electoral offences desks should not be limited to the Force Headquarters and State Commands alone; they must be extended to the Zonal commands as well as the various Police Divisions in the 774 local government areas for more coverage and effectiveness. Tackling electoral offences and bringing the perpetrators to justice will go a long way to sanitise our electoral processes and make our elections transparent, credible and acceptable to the electorate and the international community.

With the coming Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections and preparations for the 2023 general election in top gear, the move by the police high command to establish the electoral offences desks is apt and commendable. We urge the IGP to ensure a thorough implementation of the scheme and ask Nigerians to oblige the police with relevant information to enable them carry out the task. On no account should the mandate of the Desk be compromised.

Let the police ensure that anyone arrested for any electoral offence is diligently prosecuted. And those convicted must be given the required punishment. The inability of the police to prosecute and punish electoral offenders is the major reason electoral infractions proliferate at every election season. It is commendable that the police arrested 24 political thugs during the Nasarawa West Senatorial primaries. There should be no cover up in the case and others.

Those in charge of the electoral offences desks should eschew corruption and abuse of their mandate. Free and fair elections cannot be guaranteed if those who commit electoral offences are not promptly apprehended and prosecuted. The police authorities should adequately equip the electoral offences desks and make them work. For speedy trial of perpetrators of electoral offences, we call for the setting up of the special electoral offences tribunal.