Falana advocates prosecution of electoral offenders

Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana, has advocated stiffer penalties for electoral offenders, especially criminally-minded politicians who engage in vote-buying, vote-selling, ballot stuffing and related vices, as the nation set for the conduct of general elections in 2023.

Falana who described the prosecution of the electoral offenders as a panacea to the credible election said it would serve as a deterrent to orders.

Making the submission in his address entitled ‘The Mass Media as the Fulcrum of Democracy; A Celebration of BCOS Television at 40 at the 40th Anniversary of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State Television held at International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on Thursday, stressed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that perpetrators of electoral fraud are prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Falana who was represented at the occasion by Dr Tayo Omitola said all hands must be on deck in order to right an agelong wrong, especially the evil perpetrated by the evil-minded and moneybag politicians during the conduct of elections in the Country.

The legal luminary stated that the conduct of credible elections should not be left in the hands of INEC alone, adding media should assist in exposing corrupt politicians through their reports, as well as mount pressure on INEC to prosecute them in accordance with section 145 of the Electoral Act.

“I wish to submit that the media has the duty to continuously expose political parties in power at any level that make false electoral promises. The leaders of such parties are no different from fraudsters who obtain money under false pretences’ which is a crime under section 419 of the Criminal Code.

“Secondly, the media should campaign against political parties which violate their own constitutions. People who violate the party constitutions they freely give to themselves will not hesitate to rape the Country’s Constitution and the Electoral Act.

“Thirdly, the media should collaborate with progressive forces to fight for the establishment of true political parties in which members pay membership dues and therefore control their parties, rather than the present culture in which parties, mainly by misappropriating public funds, pay people to be party members.

“The media also needs to assist in fighting against the prevalent electoral crime of vote-buying under the ‘vote and get paid’ culture as was witnessed in the June 18, 2022, Ekiti State governorship elections.

“The evidence of vote-buying in Ekiti State is overwhelming. Some of the buyers were arrested by the law enforcement agencies. These criminal elements and their cohorts recklessly breached the provisions of the Electoral Act on bribery and corruption of the democratic system.

ALSO READ FROM  NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• Nurse Holds Doctor Hostage In OAU Teaching Hospital, Resident Doctors Plan Strike
• Woman’s Corpse, Unconscious Man Found Inside Office In Aba After Four Days
• Hoodlums Attack Lagos Governor’s Press Crew Bus In Tinubu’s Convoy, Two Injured
• [BREAKING] #EkitiDecides2022: INEC Declares APC’s Biodun Oyebanji Winner Of Guber Poll
• Top 10 Business Ideas In Nigeria You Can Start With 100,000 Naira
• 2023: Kwankwaso Will Not Be Deputy To Obi —NNPP

“Shortly, before then, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress had bribed delegates with millions of dollars in utter defiance of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Apart from exposing some of the criminally minded politicians, the media should mount pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission to prosecute them in line with Section 145 of the Electoral Act. The ruling class must be allowed to democracy with plutocracy.

“Furthermore, we must collectively stop electoral fraud such as the ongoing attempts to impose some lawless individuals who did not participate in party primaries, as party candidates.

“In discharging its constitutional obligation to the people the media should be fully involved in campaigning against the implementation of neoliberal economic policies by the governments at the instance of imperialism. The politicians who wish to govern Nigeria at all levels must be challenged to address the crises of infrastructural decay, insecurity, poverty, unemployment, corruption, impunity and abuse of human rights.

“The journey towards a just society may be long and torturous, but collectively, we can get there and build the country on a foundation of social justice.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman, BCOS, Prince Dotun Oyelade had given the gave the historical background of the station, submitting that the media house had always fulfilled its role as a veritable source of information and mobilisation for those within its hemisphere.

He added that the station had over the years produced great personalities who had not only been useful in other areas and that the last three years of the station had also witnessed defining development such that critical technical areas are being re-tooled and staff motivation is at an all-time high.