The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has readjusted its timetable for 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the review at a briefing in Abuja, assured that the commission would transmit the 2023 general election results electronically.
Similarly, nearly 24 months of moving round a circle in its efforts to set up a substantive National Working Committee (NWC), the revised timeline has put pressures on the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
APC had rescheduled its national convention, which would have held yesterday (February 26) to March 26, even as it announced that it would publish the list of subcommittees for the convention.
It said notice for the 2023 general elections would be published on Monday, February 28 (today), to beat the 360 days stipulated in the Electoral Act 2022.
Yakubu 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.”
He said the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023 as against February 18 earlier announced, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections hold on March 11, 2023.
Yakubu explained that the new time frame is to allow for conformity with the provisions of the Electoral law, which stipulates that elections notice be published at least 360 days to the elections.
“From the pilot conducted regarding transmission results to its Results Viewing Portal (IREC),” Yakubu disclosed, “the commission has capacity to transmit results electronically.
“From the pilot we have conducted regarding transmitting results to our IREC portal, we have covered all the nook and cranny of Nigeria and we have no challenge whether in the remote or urban areas.
“That has convinced us that we can transmit election results just by uploading polling units results from the over 176,000 locations nationwide. Therefore, we are encouraged by the pilot that we have conducted that we have capacity to transmit results from the polling units.”
While warning politicians and political parties against campaigning before the designated time, the INEC boss said the commission was working with stakeholders to ensure marked improvement on the processes for seamless transmission, especially with the enactment of the new Electoral Act.
On whether INEC would sanction erring candidates, who beat the gun by starting campaigns ahead of the dates, the chairman declared: “This is not just a matter of electoral act, it is a constitutional provision that there is a timeframe for the commencement of campaign, which is 150 days to the election and there is also a period for end of campaign, which is 24 hours to the election.
“Let me seize this opportunity to call the attention of parties and candidates that the law makes specific definite provisions for the commencement of campaigns and end of campaigns and all Nigerians are required to adhere to the provisions of the law including parties and candidates.
“We will hold meeting with all parties in Nigeria to discuss not only the issue of campaign but all the issues that require the attention of parties as provided in the Electoral Act.”
Earlier in his address, Yakubu said with the adjustment to the date of the elections, the 2023 General Election is now 363 days away, adding, “campaign for Presidential and National Assembly election by political parties will commence on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.”
The INEC boss stressed that submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online portal for Presidential and National Assembly election would commence from 9.00am on Friday, June 10, 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday, June 17, 2022.
“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 February 18, 2023 with the Presidential and National Assembly elections, followed by the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on March 4, 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 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 said with the coming into force of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission would work assiduously to conclude and publish new Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections that are consistent with the Act.
According to him, “it is necessary that all political parties comply with the extant legal framework, ensure proper organisation and management of party primaries and the nomination of qualified candidates in order to prevent unnecessary litigations and rancour.”
Yakubu maintained that apart from the slight changes in date for the 2023 elections, the new law does not impose extra cost on the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Commenting on the development, a chieftain of APC, Engineer Sam Oraegbunam, said the governing party would do all it could to structure its activities in line with the timetable, assuring that there is no cause for alarm.
But a former member of the APC NWC, Chief Hillard Etta, said the party shot itself on the foot, adding that whatever APC is doing, including the zoning of political offices “is just a continuation of illegality and unconstitutionality.”
Etta said it was obvious that the illegal contraption called Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) could do what is legal, “because you cannot build something on nothing.”