Admin I Thursday, Oct.30, 2025
AWKA, Anambra – Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), a youth-led, non-profit, non-partisan, and community-based organization, has called for the urgent establishment of an Independent Electoral Offences Commission (IEOC) to effectively prosecute electoral offenders and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
The Executive Director of CATYCOI, Comrade Nonso Orakwe, made this call penultimate Wednesday during a Forum on Campaign Against Voter Apathy (CAVA) held in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Orakwe argued that existing legal instruments empowering the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are inadequate to deal with electoral malpractices.
“We have thoroughly reviewed the relevant laws and found no sufficient provisions to hold individuals directly accountable for electoral offences,”
“The creation of an independent Electoral Offences Commission will strengthen the credibility of our electoral system and ensure that those who undermine the will of the people face the full weight of the law,” he added.
Orakwe further called on the Federal Government to institute an independent selection committee responsible for nominating chairman and members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for confirmation by the National Assembly.
According to him, such a process would remove partisan influence and promote professionalism, neutrality, and public confidence in the electoral body.
He also recommended that all post-election disputes be resolved before the inauguration of elected officials, noting that delayed judgments often erode public trust and destabilize governance.
Orakwe urged INEC to adopt full electronic transmission of election results from all levels of collation to a central, publicly accessible database.
He stated that real-time publication of results would not only enhance transparency but also curb result manipulation and voter apathy.
In a related appeal, the CATYCOI director called on security agencies, electoral authorities, and other stakeholders to ensure that the forthcoming Anambra governorship election is youth-friendly, inclusive, and violence-free.
Orakwe maintained that empowering young voters is pivotal to achieving credible, participatory, and sustainable democratic governance in Anambra State and across Nigeria.
“The youth must not only be mobilized to vote but also be integrated into electoral planning and observation processes. They represent the conscience and the continuity of our democracy,” he added.
