President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday advocated the prosecution of electoral offenders.
The President, who spoke at the swearing-in of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and five national commissioners in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said it was not enough for election tribunals to cancel or order fresh elections.
Said he: “Another area of concern is the justice administration of the electoral tribunals. Our justice system should address these shortcomings. It is not just enough for an election to be cancelled and a new one ordered.
“It will be better if those whose actions or inactions led to the cancellation of such elections are investigated and if culpable, prosecuted, whether they are individuals as candidates or party agents, institutions, such as parties, electoral body, or public officers as electoral officials or security agents.
“Perpetrators of electoral violence and thuggery should not be spared. Unless our system stops covering up electoral malpractices, we can hardly get it right. No system endures with impunity.”
Promising to respect the independence of the commission, Buhari said his administration would not interfere with its operations.
His words: “In the conduct of elections, we promised to respect the independence of our electoral body, INEC. We promised non-interference in its activities and we promised to encourage it to conduct free and fair elections. I pledge to keep the promises.”
The President urged INEC not to allow itself to be influenced or subjected to outside forces’ control.
He said: “You must respect the law. We will hold you bound by the oath you have taken. The country has reposed trust and confidence in you. You cannot afford to fail.”
Buhari decried state’s electoral bodies, which hide under the cover of the technicality of law to deny citizens’ rights.
He said: “I’m aware of Federal Government’s constitutional constraints in its engagement with the state’s electoral bodies. But the government has a social responsibility to protect the democratic rights of all.
“I am of the view that it is unacceptable to hide under the cover of the technicality of law to deny citizens’ rights.”
President Buhari said the Federal Government considered a different strategy of engagement with state governments on how to make state electoral commissions freer than many are today.
Stressing that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government promised Nigerians change, he said the change would be all- embracing.
“It starts from change of attitude, change of work ethics, change in attitude to corruption and corrupt practices.”
Buhari said the goalpost would not shift in the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections, as the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act would be followed.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, addressing State House correspondents, said the new team would not let the country down, noting that they gave a good account of themselves during their screening and confirmation.
The commissioners, who took oath of office, were Mrs. Amina Zakari, Mr. Solomon Adedeji Soyebi, Prof. Antonia Taiye Okoosi-Simbine, Dr. Muhammed Mustafa Lecky and Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo.
Those in attendance included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Prof. Yakubu, has promised to be guided by the electoral act and the constitution in the discharge of his functions.
Yakubu, who spoke on resumption yesterday after his inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari, said: “I’m not sure this is difficult because the constitution is clear.
“The roles and responsibilities of INEC are spelt out and the provisions of the electoral act are also clear.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that in whatever we do, we are guided by the letter and spirit of the constitution. These, we are going to do with courage.
“Whatever we need to do, we will ensure that this is done courageously and according to the law.”
He promised to be just to all and never to fail the expectations of Nigerians in his new roles, saying he loved challenges.
Yakubu added: “One of my bosses used to say that the public office has a tenure, a minimum of one day and a maximum of the tenure.
“In the case of INEC, it is a minimum of one day and a maximum of five years. In between is the privilege to serve. We will never fail this nation.
“We will be courageous in what we do, and we will be courageous and just to all we are supposed to serve.” He pledged to build on the successes recorded by previous administrations, especially in the conduct of the last general election.
“We have come a long way. We have had commendations locally and internationally, in the conduct of the 2015 general election.
“As I said at the Senate screening, our responsibility as a new commission is to consolidate and add value.
“Nations don’t make progress by starting afresh; nations make progress because there is a building block, which we now build more.”
The INEC boss promised to go through the books handed over to him, which included local and international observers’ reports for implementation.
He praised the outgoing Acting INEC Chairman Hajia Amina Zakari for holding the fort.
Yakubu urged the cooperation and understanding of the commission’s officials as given to previous leaderships.
Zakari said: “With the incoming commission’s officials, we are ready to conduct Kogi and Bayelsa elections.
“We have not rested on our oars in the last four months. We have tried to maintain the services of INEC to the best of our ability.
“We hope by the time the commission settles down, it will not be difficult to continue where we have stopped.”
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