Ezekwesili Demands Stiffer Penalties to Combat Electoral Malpractice in Nigeria

Obiageli Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Education, has issued a powerful call for stricter legal consequences to tackle the deep-rooted issue of electoral offenses in Nigeria. The respected economic policy expert argued that the current system of sanctions is woefully inadequate and fails to act as a meaningful deterrent.

A Call for Deterrent Justice

Speaking at an ADC Dialogue event in Abuja on Tuesday, Ezekwesili laid out a clear case for reform. She stated that for democracy to truly thrive, the cost of subverting it must be unacceptably high. “We need stronger penalties for electoral offences,” she asserted. “The current punishments are simply too weak to deter violations. Significantly increasing fines and jail terms for crimes like vote buying, result falsification, and election-related violence would fundamentally strengthen deterrence.”

Reining in Security Agencies

Beyond punitive measures, Ezekwesili also addressed a critical power dynamic that often undermines electoral integrity. She proposed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be granted full and unambiguous legal authority over security agencies during elections.

“Security agencies have, unfortunately, become one of the greatest problems of our democracy,” she observed, pointing to a history of political interference. “INEC should have explicit legal authority to direct security agencies assigned to them during elections. This is essential to ensure that these agencies respond to genuine electoral needs rather than to external political pressures.”

This proposal aims to insulate the electoral process from manipulation and ensure that security forces act as neutral guardians of the vote, not as tools for partisan interests.

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