Double Registration: We Cannot Prosecute Bello Due To Immunity —INEC

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
[INEC], Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has on Wednesday, said that the
electoral umpire could not prosecute the Kogi State governor,
Yahaya Bello, for double registration because of immunity.

Prof. Yakubu said this yesterday during a quarterly media
meeting with journalists.

The INEC chairman said that the commission could not take action
him because double registration is not an offence under the
Electoral Act.

Yakubu said: “On the issue of double registration, there is
nothing INEC can do with someone who has constitutional immunity.
The governor in question has a guaranteed constitutional
immunity.

“We disciplined our staff that were involved because it is
within our reach to take administrative action against them.
Moreover, the Electoral Act does not permit us to disqualify any
one based on the account of double registration. This is our
handicap”.

On the allegation that INEC collected a list of partisan ad-hoc
staff from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Yakubu called
on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide evidence to that
effect.

The INEC chairman challenged the PDP to provide actionable
evidence as it is not enough to make frivolous allegations.

He said that it is common to hear politicians make
unsubstantiated allegations.

He cited the case of a politician in Anambra State who claimed
that INEC had stocked two-lorry loads of ballot boxes to rig the
elections against his party but sang another song after the
elections.

In conclusion, he said:

“By and large, all we have to say is to ask those making these
allegations to provide to INEC actionable evidence and we will move
into action. Give us evidence and INEC will act swiftly.”