The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would soon be unbundled and restructured to enhance its capacity for electoral management and to deepen the nations’ democracy.
The Director General of The Electoral Institute (TEI) Professor Abubakar Momoh said this Thursday in Abuja at the stakeholders’ meeting and policy brief on “Election Violence and Mitigation Tool (EVMT)” organised by the Cleen Foundation, UKAID and TEI.
He also said that chairman of the commission Professor Mahmood Yakubu would not spare any staff indicted for electoral malpractices in the just concluded Rivers State re-run or other elections.
“INEC is already overburdened and many believe that there is need for its restructuring. The commission is working on the unbundling process looking at the Electoral Act to make its finding and recommendations to the National Assembly,” Momoh said.
He said that the much clamored for special court to fast-track prosecution of electoral offences is also being worked at by INEC saying it is difficult for the commission to prosecute electoral cases in courts due to the sheer numbers of the cases, those involved and the financial resources need for the prosecutions.
He said electoral violence is not restricted to Election Day alone as it can happen at any of the stages of electoral cycle and for different reasons.
Acting Executive Director of the Cleen Foundation Benson Olugbuo, said the EVMT policy brief was meant to streamline and harmonize existing instruments or policies on mitigating electoral violence.
He said the theme of the meeting: “Intervention for Preventing and Mitigating Electoral Violence in Nigeria: Issues and Policy Recommendations” was to be discussed on its usage to predict the risk of violence in the electoral process and evolve adequate policy and advocacy to prevent and control such violence.
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