The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, has revealed that politicians obtaining more than one nomination form seeking party tickets for elections may be handed two years imprisonment on prosecution.
Iginni had stated that obtaining two or more nomination forms of a party for election ticket, is a breach of a section of the amended Electoral Act 2022.
Igini cited Section 115 (D) of the Electoral Act Amended, which stipulates that a person who signs a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency at the same election commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum term of imprisonment for two years. He explained that “constituency” as indicated in the Act implies separate elections – presidential, governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, or the State House of Assembly.
Igini highlighted. “Section 115 (D) of the 2022 electoral act stipulates that no person shall sign, obtain more than one form as a candidate for different elections.
“And the offence for that under subsection K, beyond the financial, he will go to two years’ imprisonment. Some people are claiming that they participated in one election, that they filled two forms; it’s ignorance of the law and it’s not an excuse.”
The Akwa Ibom State REC emphasized that “there are many candidates that have done this;” adding that “INEC can only point you in that direction; that’s what we can do.”
Igini had declared: “People walk their way to prison when they say that they bought two forms; Section 115 (D) prohibits that. In fact, subsection 3 of 115 says that even that attempt itself will be treated as the offence.”