{"id":122907,"date":"2025-10-10T20:16:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T19:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=122907"},"modified":"2025-10-10T20:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T19:16:31","slug":"forum-advocates-tribunal-police-desk-for-electoral-offences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/forum-advocates-tribunal-police-desk-for-electoral-offences\/","title":{"rendered":"\u200eForum Advocates Tribunal, Police Desk for Electoral Offences \u200e"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By \u200eDaniel Adaji<\/div>\n
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\u200e<\/div>\n
\u200ePolitical stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory have called for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal and a Police Electoral Offences Desk to strengthen the enforcement of electoral laws ahead of the February 2026 FCT Area Council elections.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe recommendation was part of a communiqu\u00e9 issued at the end of the FCT Anti-Electoral Offences Forum meeting held in Abuja recently.<\/div>\n
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\u200eA copy of the communiqu\u00e9 was made available to Pointblanknews.com on Friday.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe meeting, which brought together political party members, candidates, and representatives of civil society, reviewed the outcomes of an earlier forum held on September 17, 2025. The participants discussed strategies to curb electoral offences, enhance citizens\u2019 awareness, and promote accountability during the electoral process.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe stakeholders urged political parties to engage the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on addressing irregularities affecting the enforcement of electoral offences laws during voter registration, campaigns, and elections.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe communiqu\u00e9 stressed the need for political parties to train their members on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) dealing with electoral offences.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe forum further resolved that each political party should set up an Electoral Offences Prevention Committee to ensure compliance with election guidelines and laws. It also recommended a sustained media campaign, involving continuous dissemination of information through clips, stories, and videos to sensitize citizens on the dangers of electoral malpractices.<\/div>\n
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\u200eTo ensure broader advocacy, participants called for collaboration with the Mandate Secretariat, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and other relevant agencies to push for enforcement of electoral offences laws. They also proposed advocacy meetings with various groups to deepen understanding and public participation in promoting credible elections.<\/div>\n
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\u200eIn addition, the forum called for partnerships with anti-corruption agencies such as the ICPC, EFCC, and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to establish an Anti-Electoral Offence Brigade. The proposed brigade, made up of young people drawn from different political parties, will be tasked with monitoring polling centres to detect and report criminal activities like vote buying.<\/div>\n
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\u200e\u201cThese youths will be selected across different political parties, made to register before recruitment, requested to take an oath of the office they’ll fill and engage in training exercises that will be conducted for them,\u201d the communiqu\u00e9 stated.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe forum also resolved to send letters to the FCTA seeking collaboration on voter education and sensitisation on citizens\u2019 electoral rights and duties. Business owners, it said, should also be enlightened on how electoral offences negatively impact commerce and the economy, and encouraged to support anti-electoral campaigns.<\/div>\n
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\u200eAdditionally, the communiqu\u00e9 urged INEC FCT to appoint Legal Officers to prosecute electoral offenders in accordance with Section 144 of the Electoral Act, and called on the Commissioner of Police, FCT, to set up an Electoral Offences Desk at the FCT Police Headquarters and divisional offices within the Area Councils.<\/div>\n
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\u200eIt equally recommended that the Chief Judge of the FCT should establish a special Electoral Offences Tribunal to expedite the prosecution of offenders during the 2026 Area Council elections.<\/div>\n
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\u200eThe communiqu\u00e9, issued was signed by Chief Princewill Okorie, Miss Stella Ogilegwu, Ms Fatima Yusuf, and Mr Afolabi Wahab.<\/div>\n
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