Former Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South) says there is the need to criminalize every form of election violence in Nigeria with the possible death penalty for offenders ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
Olujimi made the submission in an interview with Journalists in Abuja, shortly after presenting a motion over recent election violence in Ekiti State.
Olujimi had in the motion drawn the Senate attention to the incidents of violence in last Saturday’s bye-election for Ekiti East Constituency 1 which became vacant following the death of Mr. Juwa Adegbuyi of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The federal lawmaker said the election was going on smoothly and peacefully before hoodlums at about 12 noon invaded polling centres shooting sporadically and escaping with ballot boxes.
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She said no fewer than three persons were feared dead with many others injured in Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti East LGA.
She called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to carry out a full-scale investigation into the violence and the National Assembly to accelerate the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill currently before it.
She said the National Assembly needs to urgently amend relevant sections of the Electoral Act to criminalize election violence with the possibility of capital punishment on offenders.
The Ekiti State born lawmaker said such stringent laws will serve as deterrent to many other criminals.
