A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, and immediate past Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Aminu Tambuwal, the Governor of Sokoto State; and other politicians who obtained more than one nomination form, have allegedly committed an electoral offence and are liable to two years imprisonment under the Electoral Act, 2022.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, disclosed this while featuring recently on Channels TV’s programme, Sunrise Daily.
“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,” Igini said.
According to him, by “constituency,” the electoral term refers to a separate election whether it is presidential, governorship, senatorial, the House of Representatives, or that of state assembly.
He said any candidate who runs afoul of this law is liable to be jailed for two years, and that Section 115 (3) even states that an attempt to obtain multiple forms is an offence.
“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.
“We are preventing them from being candidates for prison and they are calling our names everywhere,” the commissioner said.
By Igini’s submission, other politicians who might have violated the electoral act include Governors Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
