Utibe Ekoson
In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) permission to proceed with its lawsuit, which seeks to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to charge suspected vote-buyers arrested during the Ekiti State Governorship election.The civic group stated this in a tweet, revealing that the leave was granted by Justice Mohammed yesterday.In a letter dated June 18, 2022, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said Corruption of the ballot box intrudes on the freedom of Nigerian voters to make up their own minds, adding that Vote-buying and other forms of electoral corruption freeze out the less wealthy candidates and parties.The body gave INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu seven days to gather information about reports of vote-buying, undue influence, intimidation, ballot box snatching, and other electoral offences by the three leading political parties in the just concluded Ekiti State governorship election.The group who described vote-buying and electoral bribery as a threat to fair elections, urged INEC to promptly prosecute those arrested, and bring to justice anyone who sponsored them.
