Title:
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND THE PROSECUTION OF ELECTORAL OFFENCES IN NIGERIA: IS THE 2010 ELECTORAL ACT IMPLICATED

Authors:
Chikwado Ezugworie ,Christopher Ostar and Okorie Albert ,Nigeria

Abstract:
The article examines the effectiveness of Independent National Electoral Commission on the prosecution of electoral offences in Nigeria. The article argued that lumping together both prosecutorial and administrative roles in the mandate of INEC was a deliberate scheme by the ruling class to undermine vigorous prosecution of electoral offences. This was in anticipation that effective prosecution of such offences could inflict collateral damage to their political careers, as findings indicated that they constitute greater majority of the violators. The theory of post-colonial state was adopted as framework of analysis; while mixed and qualitativedescriptive methods were employed for data collection and analysis respectively. On the strength of the above findings the article recommends creation of separate and independent body charged with the responsibility of detection and prosecution of electoral offences, while INEC will concentrate on conduct of elections