INEC has blamed its decision to shift dates initially outlined for the conduct of next year’s general elections on the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari to accent to the reworked Electoral Act.
Addressing the press after the Commission held a meeting on Saturday, the National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu said the electoral body has been constrained to shift the dates for the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
“However, the Commission could not release the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election, as it normally would, because of the pending enactment of the Electoral Act 2022”, the INEC Chairman explained.
Assuring the Nigerian people that the Commission would do its utmost to ensure a smooth transition of power through the ballot box, he said the electoral body would take urgent steps to release guidelines for the 2023 elections.
“One of the significant timelines is the publication of Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for holding an election which has now lapsed for the 2023 General Election.
“Consequently, the Commission has decided to adjust the dates of the 2023 General Election to ensure compliance with the provisions of the new law.
“Accordingly, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday 25th February 2023”, the INEC Chairman disclosed.
He further stated, “the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023. With this adjustment, the 2023 General Election is now 363 days away.”
INEC noted that under the law, “there are critical time – bound activities from the publication of Notice of Election to the Conduct of Polls which form the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for elections.
“Some of the critical activities and their dates of implementation are as follows:
i. Publication of Notice of Election – Monday 28th February 2022.
ii. Conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them – Monday 4th April 2022 to Friday 3rd June 2022.
iii. Submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online portal for Presidential and National Assembly election – 9.00am on Friday 10th June 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday 17th June 2022.
iv. Submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online nomination portal for Governorship and State Assembly elections – 9.00am on Friday 1st July 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday 15th July 2022.
v. Commencement of Campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly election – Wednesday 28th September 2022.
vi. Commencement of Campaign by political parties for Governorship and State Assembly elections – Wednesday 12th October 2022.
vii. Last day of campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday 23rd February 2023.
viii. Last day of campaign by political parties for Governorship and State Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday 9th March 2023.”
The INEC Chairman however hailed the signing of the Electoral Act by President Buhari, saying the action is historic.
“This is historic, being the fourth time since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in May 1999, that the Electoral Act was repealed and re-enacted.
“The 1998 – 1999 elections were administered by transitional decrees until the 2001 Electoral Act was passed into law.
“Then, the Act was repealed and re-enacted as the Electoral Act 2002 which was in turn repealed and re-enacted in 2006, 2010 and now we have the 2022 Electoral Act.”
Prior to the dislocation of its initial plan to prepare stakeholders for the elections as a result of the delay in signing the amended Electoral Act into law, INEC had fixed dates for the forthcoming elections.
“You may recall that in 2017, the Commission decided to establish fixed dates for General Elections in Nigeria.
“This decision was based on our determination to create certainty in the electoral calendar and to enable all stakeholders in the electoral process (the electoral commission, political parties and candidates, security agencies, observers, the media etc.) to prepare adequately for elections.
“By that decision, Presidential and National Assembly elections shall hold on the third Saturday of the month of February of each General Election year, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections shall follow two weeks later.
“Consequently, the 2023 General Election was scheduled to commence on 18th February 2023 with the Presidential and National Assembly elections, followed by the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on the 4th of March 2023”, the Chairman revealed.
Also recall that a former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke had on a television programme, Open Conversation broadcast by Atlantic Television predicted that there would be changes in the electoral timetable.
Insisting that there is “the mathematics of the Electoral Act”, Nwuke said the delay in initialing the document by the President would force INEC to redesign its timetable in order to take care of shortfalls in timing.