The Ekiti State governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This is one of eight off-cycle governorship elections in Nigeria. As with other Nigerian elections, there are electoral offences that attract punishments as prescribed by the constitution. Below is the full list of offences and penalties.
Registration Offences
Section 114 (a to f) of the Electoral Act outlines offences related to voter registration. These include double registration, forgery of a registration card, impersonation of a registration officer, and other violations. Conviction may result in a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.
Nomination Offences
Section 115 addresses offences committed by candidates regarding their nomination. This includes forgery of nomination papers or results, forgery or destruction of ballot papers, and unauthorized possession of ballot papers. The penalty is a fine of N50,000,000 or imprisonment for at least ten years, or both.
Violence at Political Meetings
Section 116 of the Electoral Act states: Any person who, at a political meeting, acts or incites disorderly conduct to prevent the meeting's business, or possesses an offensive weapon or missile, commits an offence. Conviction carries a maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.
Improper Use of Voter Card
Section 117 prohibits improper use of voter cards. This includes giving a voter card to another person for use at an election, receiving a voter card in another's name, having more than one voter card without lawful excuse, or buying, selling, or dealing with a voter card. Penalty: maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.
Impersonation and Voting When Not Qualified
Section 119 condemns impersonation by an unqualified voter or a qualified voter who votes again after already voting. Such offences attract a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.
Other Notable Offences
Additional offences include dereliction of duty (Section 120), bribery and conspiracy (Section 121), breach of secrecy in voting (Section 122), wrongful voting and false statements (Section 123), voting by an unregistered person (Section 124), disorderly conduct at elections (Section 125), offences on election day (Section 126), undue influence (Section 127), and threatening (Section 128).
UK to Monitor Elections
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, announced that the UK will deploy observers to monitor the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. Montgomery stated that the UK respects Nigeria's sovereignty but has a keen interest in the country's democratic and economic progress.
