Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for “failing to prosecute those suspected of vote-buying and electoral bribery during the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election.”
According to reports, there was a brazen pattern of vote-buying and electoral bribery in some polling units during the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election.
A political party was said to have induced voters in Ekiti with as much as N10,000.
DAILY POST reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, scored 187, 057 votes to win the election.
However, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1189/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, last Friday, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to seek and obtain detailed information about reports of vote-buying by the three leading political parties in the 2022 Ekiti State governorship election.
SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to promptly and effectively prosecute those arrested, and to bring to justice anyone who sponsored, aided and abetted them.”
According to the organization, “wealthy candidates and their sponsors ought not to be allowed to profit from their crimes. Arresting and prosecuting vote buyers will end widespread impunity for vote buying ahead of the February 2023 general elections.”
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Opeyemi Owolabi and Kolawole Oluwadare.
https://dailypost.ng/2022/07/24/serap-takes-inec-to-court-over-failure-to-prosecute-vote-buyers/
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