Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 2023 general election will hold on February 18, 2023.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu made the announcement on Wednesday during a one-day public hearing on National Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021, organized by the Senate Committee on INEC.
According to the INEC boss, the 2023 general elections are exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today.
He expressed;
By the principle established by the Commission, the 2023 General Election 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 Election 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 also lamented the delay in the prosecution of electoral offenders has been one of the most challenging tasks for the commission since its establishment.
Yakubu noted that one of the numerous responsibilities carried out by the commission is the prosecution of electoral offenders, describing it as the most challenging duty for INEC.
The INEC chairman said 13 years after the recommendation by Justice Mohammed Uwais for the establishment of 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 noted;
No doubt, INEC is saddled with many responsibilities as it is election throughout the year in Nigeria. For instance, since the 2015 general election, 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.
However, while we are excited about today’s action, we want the legal framework, the Electoral Act (amendment) that will govern the 2023, elections, which comes up on February 28, 2023 to be passed in good time.
He added;
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.
