PUNCH

Aluko advocates establishment of electoral offences court

function submitCCCForm(){ PopUp = window.open(”, ‘_Icon’,'location=no,toolbar=no,status=no,width=650,height=550,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes’); this.document.cccform.submit(); }

By Olalekan Adetayo

Published: Monday, 28 Jul 2008

A renowned economist, Prof. Sam Aluko, has called for the establishment of two sets of electoral courts as a replacement for the existing tribunals, Appeal Courts and the Supreme Court that currently adjudicate on election petitions.

In a memorandum he submitted to the Electoral Reform Committee, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Sunday, Aluko said the step was one of the sure ways of ensuring credible elections in the country.

He suggested that the courts should include Electoral Offences Courts that would try electoral offenders who had hitherto gone scot-free despite the fact that they always cause election petitions after every poll.

The courts, he added, would try the offences committed by the police, other security agencies and political parties as well as their members and agents.

The second court, according to Aluko, should be Constitutional/Electoral Courts which he said should be set up with both original and final jurisdiction on all electoral petitions by candidates that feel cheated.

He said, ”There should be no appeals against the decisions of the courts. This will ensure that electoral disputes are resolved are resolved speedily and expeditiously to ensure that no elected officials is sworn in before his/her case has been finally adjudicated.

”Any elected official found guilty of electoral offence by any of the courts, or whose election is nullified, should be barred from not only recontesting the annulled election but also from two succeeding elections.”