INEC Fixes Date To Release 2023 Elections Timetable

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Wednesday announced that the timetable for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria would be released in November 2021.

The Chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a public hearing on the Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Kyari.

Yakubu, however, said there must be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the conduct of the 2023 general election before the timetable would be released.

He called on the National Assembly to pass the electoral act amendment bill currently before it.

He said: “I will like to reiterate our appeal to the National Assembly for the expeditious passage of the Electoral Offences Commission Bill and the pending review of the Electoral Legal Framework generally.

“We are confident that the National Assembly will conclude work on the legal framework in earnest.

“The commission is anxious to know the legal framework to govern the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

“By the principle established by the commission, the 2023 general elections will hold on Saturday, 18 February 2023 which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days away from today.

“We hope to release the timetable for the general elections immediately after the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold on the 6th of November 2021.

“In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the 2023 general election.

“By the principle established by the commission, the 2023 general elections will hold on Saturday, 18 February 2023 which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days away from today.

“We hope to release the timetable for the general elections immediately after the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold on the 6th of November 2021.

“In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the 2023 general election.

“We are confident that the national assembly will do the needful and to do so in earnest.”