Following the presidential assent to the new Electoral Act, Nigeria’s INEC – the Independent National Electoral Commission – has released a new timetable for the 2023 elections, creating a 2-month window for political parties to conduct primary elections between April 4, 2022 and June 3, 2022.
Under the new timetable for the 2023 general election, INEC has shifted the presidential and National Assembly elections from February 18 to February 25, 2023, while the governorship elections will hold on March 11, 2023.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this.
“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, February 25, 2023, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday, March 11, 2023. With this adjustment, the 2023 general election is now 363 days away,” he explained.
Prof. Yakubu said that some of the critical activities and their dates of implementation are as follows: “Publication of Notice of Election – Monday, February 28, 2022;
“Conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them – Monday, April 4, 2022, to Friday, June 3, 2022.
“Commencement of campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly elections -Wednesday, September 28, 2022; commencement of campaign by political parties for governorship and State Assembly elections – Wednesday, October 12, 2022; last day of the campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday, February 23, 2023; last day of the campaign by political parties for governorship and State Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday, March 9, 2023,” Yakubu further explained.
The INEC boss reassured stakeholders of the capacity of the Commission Speaking on the capacity of INEC to transmit all elections results in real-time, and from all the 120,000 polling wards and 774 local government areas across the Federation.
He also pointed out that the commission is not anticipating any extra budget to implement the new electoral law.
