The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to comply with a court order mandating the investigation of electoral offences, including bribery and misconduct from the 2023 general elections.
The July 18, 2024 ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu followed a lawsuit by SERAP, which highlighted the involvement of governors, deputies, and other officials in electoral malpractices.
In a letter dated September 28, 2024, SERAP, through its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, warned that failure to act would undermine Nigeria’s democratic process and the judiciary’s credibility. SERAP emphasized that if INEC does not comply within seven days, it will begin contempt proceedings against both Yakubu and the commission.
The court had ordered INEC to appoint independent counsel to investigate allegations of vote-buying and undue influence during the 2023 elections, collaborate with law enforcement, and prosecute offenders.
SERAP stressed that INEC’s compliance would help restore public trust, prevent impunity, and strengthen Nigeria’s electoral and legal systems. The group also pointed to ongoing electoral offences in states like Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa, and Edo as evidence of a continued culture of impunity, which INEC’s inaction is perpetuating.
Failure to enforce the judgment, according to SERAP, violates Section 287 of the Nigerian Constitution, which obligates all authorities to respect court decisions. SERAP called on Yakubu to demonstrate leadership by ensuring investigations and prosecutions are carried out to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
