The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has commended the decision made by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to bar some of its electoral officials under investigation by the anti-graft agencies over alleged corrupt practices from partaking in the oncoming gubernatorial elections in Ondo and Edo states.
This came in a response to media reports that INEC has hindered some of its electoral officials undergoing investigation over alleged corrupt practices from supervising the elections that would take place in Ondo and Edo State.
CACOL described the step taken by INEC as bold and quite necessary as the country battles corruption on all plains. Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Comrade Debo Adeniran, said “the step is certainly one of the required steps in the efforts to curb political corruption in the country. It is part of the cravings of majority of Nigerians and it represents one of the yields of the anti-corruption drive.”
“The tenacity and the unrelentiveness of the Federal government in its fight against corruption also deserve commendation for this development. The truth is that the anti-corruption drive embedded in President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration is gradually gaining victory over corruption; a menace that has ravished our country and encroached on every facet in our system for so long.”
Continuing, Adeniran said, “tackling political corruption is very fundamental in battling corruption, because it is political corruption that produces corrupt leaders that robs the country’s treasury willy-nilly. Political corruption is what deprives the people of their basic needs to exist. We believe that even candidates who are under investigations by the anti-corruption agencies should not be allowed to contest elections until such candidates prove their innocence.”
In concluding he said, “we therefore urge the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, INEC and other relevant agencies, to swing into action on the affected INEC officials. The suspected officials must be prosecuted while applying disciplinary actions against those found wanting must also be ensured. Also, the emergence of laws that would forestall electoral misconduct in the future which is driven to solve immediate and long-term measures towards curbing impunity in our electoral process is paramount.”
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
7 September 2016
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