The date for the 2023 General Elections has been disclosed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was made at a one-day public hearing on the National Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021 by the Chairman of the commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu. The Senate Committee on INEC organized the one-day public hearing.
Yakubu stated that the general elections will hold on Saturday, 18th February 2023, exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today therefore the needed preparation.
He added that the committee hopes to release the timetable and schedule of activities for the general elections right after the Anambra Governorship election. He said;
“By the principle established by the Commission, the 2023 General Elections will hold on Saturday, 18th February, 2023, which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today.
We hope to release the timetable and schedule of activities for the general elections immediately after the Anambra Governorship election scheduled to hold on 6th November, 2021.
In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the election. We are confident that the National Assembly will do the needful in earnest.”he said
Speaking on the delay in the prosecution of electoral offenders, the INEC Chairman described it as one of the most challenging tasks of the commission. He said;
“For instance, since the 2015 general elections, 125 cases of electoral offences were filed in various courts out of which 60 convictions have been secured so far, including the most recent one in Akwa Ibom State.
“The commission would like to see more successful prosecution of offenders, not just of ballot box snatchers and falsifiers of election results but most importantly their sponsors.
“We look forward to the day when highly placed sponsors of thuggery, including party chieftains and candidates that seek to benefit from violations of the law, are apprehended. We believe that the work of the proposed Commission will help in this regard.”
