Bill seeking to establish electoral offences commission passes second reading at senate

A bill seeking to establish a commission for electoral offences has passed second reading at the senate.

The bill entitled: “National Electoral Offences Commission and for other related matters, 2019”, is being sponsored by Abubakar Kyari, senator representing Borno north.

Leading a debate on it, he said the bill would serve as a deterrence to offenders.

“Electoral crimes help electoral riggers and offenders take control of government against the democratic will of their electorates,” Kyari said.

“It gives birth to electoral apathy and national insecurity. Rigged elections throw up political schemes that are not conducive for business.

“The national economy decays from declining foreign investments and gross domestic products, increasing unemployment. Electoral offences are self-inflicted injuries to be avoided at all cost.”

Contributing to the debate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, said he agrees with the bill but there has to be a difference between a commission and a tribunal that may be set up to handle electoral offences.

“I have every support for this. The Justice Uwais’s report suggested a tribunal that is set up specially for dealing with electoral offenses,” Abaribe said.

“I think that when we get to public hearing we will need to know the distinction between a commission and a tribunal specially made just to try electoral offenses.”

Also speaking, Ike Ekweremadu, senator representing Enugu west, said after a public hearing there would be room to address “grey areas” of the bill.

“I believe that this bill should go to the committee, let us have an appropriate public hearing and we have a final product that will be able to address the fears,” he said.

“If we put our heads together we can come up with something that will yield the desired result.”

The bill scaled second reading after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.