Anti-graft campaign organisation, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), has commended the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for revealing the perpetrators of the electoral malpractices recorded during the 2007 and 2011 general elections and has called for their prosecution.
The commendation and call were made in statement signed by CACOL Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran.
CACOL’s statement was a response to the recently released report by the NHRC, which indicted a number of people and government agencies.
According to Adeniran, the report validates the view that the country’s electoral system is constantly manipulated.
“The judiciary, INEC, and some other agencies have failed in discharging their responsibilities fittingly; the breaching of our electoral laws, when it happens is done with impunity in our country, yet the government and its agencies hardly bat any eye-lid. Cases of electoral malfeasance are hardly investigated or prosecuted. Therefore, culprits are not punished to serve as deterrent to other perpetrators of electoral fraud and as a result, electoral manipulations still characterize the electoral processes in our country,” he said.
To end the cycle of electoral fraud, Adeniran called on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami; the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; INEC and other relevant institutions, to act on the NHRC report.
“Investigations must be further conducted on the findings of the commission, prosecution of culprits must be done and severe disciplinary actions must be awarded against those found wanting after judicial process is completed. This is how we can forestall electoral misconduct in the future,” he reasoned.
Named among the perpetrators of the electoral fraud are Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, a former governor of Delta State; Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, former governor of Edo State; Mr. Clarence Obafemi, a former acting governor of Kogi State; and a former Benue State Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor.
Also indicted are Professor Maurice Iwu, a former Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), other government agencies, political institutions and security agencies.
Adeniran argued that political corruption, as revealed in the NHRC report, is the foundation for all other forms of corruption He explained that the leaders the country are products of corrupt processes, the reason for which corruption has remained dominant in national life.
