by Kolapo Olapoju
The Independent National Electoral Commission has stated that it has no power to investigate the Peoples Democratic Party and donors at the N21.27 billion fundraiser for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign.
According to the Commission, it only has the jurisdiction to prosecute any party, person or company that violates any part of the country’s Electoral Act, after security agencies must have carried out an investigation and presented concrete evidence.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, made the disclosure while reacting to widespread call for the electoral commission to investigate the campaign fundraising, which was far above the legal limit of N1 billion
Osaze-Uzzi said: “Before you prosecute, won’t you investigate? Before you prosecute somebody, the person has to be investigated. If a person shoots another man on the street, the police cannot just charge him to court. They will have to follow a process.”
“Don’t forget that INEC has no powers to investigate. But it has powers to prosecute. It is the security agencies that investigate. We don’t have investigative powers; but we have prosecutorial powers. If they have investigated and found out that somebody was wrong, we will prosecute that person. It is after investigation that we can prosecute. And there must be an evidence that a crime has been committed,” Osaze-Uzzi added.
Furthermore, when asked if the commission had contacted any of the security agencies over the issue, he was on the fence with his response, saying: “I can’t say yes or no as of now.”
INEC senior officials, especially Prof Jega, need prayers not to compromise 2015 general elections. The elections must be free and fair. I never expected INEC to find it difficult to investigate and prosecute the 21billion Naira campaing fund of PDP. The electoral law should have been returned to National assembly to remove the clause if INEC cannot implement.