Politics heats up as INEC schedules presidential, NASS elections for Feb 25 – Nexus News
The political heat rose sharply yesterday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rescheduled its time table for the 2023 elections.
The elections will now begin with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 25, 202, a week ahead of the February 18 date originally fixed for it.
The governorship and state houses of assembly elections will be held two weeks later on Saturday, 11th March 2023, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said in Abuja.
This came 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari approved the Electoral Bill 2022 into law.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday urged the nation’s youths to contest with elders for elective offices in 2023 rather than seek to deprive them of their constitutional rights to pursue their presidential ambition.
INEC, which is burdened with the responsibility of supervising or implementing much of the Electoral Act, held what it called an extraordinary meeting on the development yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference briefly after the meeting, Yakubu stated that the Commission decided to reschedule the dates of the 2023 general election to ensure compliance with the provisions of the new law.
The notice of the elections will be made official tomorrow, Monday, February 28, as demanded by law.
According to the rescheduled election time table campaign for the presidential and National Assembly election by political parties will begin on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
Conduct of party primaries, including the settling of conflicts arising from them are expected to take place between Monday, April 4, 2022 and Friday, June 3, 2022.
Submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online portal for Presidential and National Assembly election is slated for 9.00 am on Friday 10th June, 2022 to 6.00 pm on Friday 17th June, 2022, while submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online nomination portal for governorship and state assembly elections will run from 9.00am on Friday, 1st July, 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday, 15th July, 2022.
Campaigns by political parties for the Presidential and National Assembly election will commence between Wednesday, 28th September, 2022 and Thursday, 23rd February, 2023 while that for governorship and state assembly elections will run between Wednesday, 12th October, 2022 and midnight of Thursday, 9th March, 2023.
On the newly approved Electoral Act, Yakubu said: “As you are aware, yesterday, Friday 25th February, 2022, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed the Electoral Bill 2022 into law.
“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.
“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 be held 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.
“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 Bill has now been signed into law.
“Therefore, the Electoral Act 2022 together with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) form the legal basis for conducting all elections in Nigeria.
“In particular, the Electoral Act provides strict timelines for the implementation of electoral activities based on the date of the general election.
“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 be held on Saturday 25th February, 2023 while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will be held two weeks later on Saturday 11th March, 2023.
“With this adjustment, the 2023 general election is now 363 days away.
“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:
“With the coming into force of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission will work assiduously to conclude and publish new Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections that are consistent with the Act.
“These regulations and guidelines as well as manuals issued by the Commission are all part of the legal regulatory framework for elections. Their timely publication will enable all stakeholders in the electoral process to become conversant with their provisions as they prepare for the 2023 General Election.
“On this note, I wish to remind stakeholders, especially the political parties, of their responsibility to adhere strictly to the timelines in this Timetable and Schedule of Activities, as well as all other timelines established by the Commission.
Read Also: Electoral Act: PDP commends Buhari, NASS
“It is necessary that all political parties comply with the extant legal framework, ensure proper organization and management of party primaries and the nomination of qualified candidates in order to prevent unnecessary litigations and rancor.”
Reacting to a reporter’s question, Yakubu, noted that apart from the rescheduling of the election dates, the new law does not enforce extra cost on the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Buhari, in acceding to the law on Friday, stated that it had the potential of revolutionizing the electoral process in the country even though he asked the National Assembly to review the law by removing Section 84 (12).
This section, according to him, acts against the rights of political office holders to vote or be voted for at political party conventions and congresses.
Atiku brags of picking PDP presidential ticket
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday displayed confidence that he would obtain the presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s general election.
He also urged the nation’s youths to contest with elders for elective post in 2023 rather than seek to deprive the latter the constitutional right to pursue their presidential ambition.
Atiku who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, noted that the electoral field is also open to the younger ones to contest.
The Turaki Adamawa spoke while answering questions from newsmen after a closed door meeting with his former boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in the latter’s penthouse within the sprawling Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
The former Vice President, who got to OOPL at 10.10 a.m., went into a private meeting with his host, stating “I came to see my boss.”
He, however, was mum on what was discussed during their meeting.
“We will let you know when I declare. We will give a formal announcement. Have I ever failed to get a ticket? Let the youths compete with the elders. It is a competition. It is democracy,” Atiku said.
He later moved to the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Ake, Abeokuta where he recalled his relationship with the people of Ogun State and Egbaland in particular.
Although Atiku did not speak about his political ambition at the palace, the revered monarch prayed that God would grant him his heart desires.
About Author
