The Nigeria’s electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced the date for the 2023 general elections in the country, Tribune Online has reported.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, by the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a one-day public hearing on the National Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021, organized by the Senate Committee on INEC.
INEC boss, in his statements, stated that the 2023 General Election will hold on Saturday 18th February 2023 by the principle established by the Commission, which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks, and six days or 660 days from today.
Speaking further, Yukubu said that the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election is expected to be released immediately after the Anambra Governorship election, scheduled to hold on 6th November 2021, and in order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal framework to govern the election. He added that the commission is confident that the National Assembly will do the needful as soon as possible.
The INEC boss also 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.
He howled about the delay in the prosecution of electoral offenders which has been one of the most challenging tasks for the commission since its establishment.
In his words:
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.
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.”
