INEC Fixes Date For 2023 General Elections
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 18, 2023 as date for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
INEC however said that it desires that the legal framework (Electoral Act amendment) that will govern 2023, elections, which comes up on February 28, 2023, would be passed in good time.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, who announced the date on Wednesday said that by the principles established by the electoral body, the 2023 general elections will hold on Saturday, February 18, 2023.
Prof. Yakubu, who stated these while presenting a keynote address at a Public Hearing on a Bill for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission organised by the Senate Committee on INEC, said that the date is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days away from today or 660 days
He said that the Commission is anxious to know the legal framework that would govern the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu said 13 years after the recommendation by Justice Mohammed Uwais for the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission, and many other committee reports on the same “we are here today at this historic event to make inputs into this bill”.
He further said; “No doubt, INEC is saddled with many responsibilities as it is election throughout the year in Nigeria.
“Since the 2015 election, 124 cases of electoral offences are being prosecuted with only 60 convictions”, Yakubu said.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya said that the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 is receiving attention and hopefully will be assented to by the President.
Gaya also said the passage of the National Electoral Offences Commission will definitely change the narrative in our electoral process.
Speaking in turn, sponsor of the Bill, Senator Abubakar Kyari said the process started in the 8th Senate when he co-sponsored the bill with Senator Ovie Omo-Agege because they realised that INEC cannot prosecute one percent of electoral offences adding that there is the need for the responsibility to be taken off INEC’s shoulders to enable it function effectively.
