INEC Fixes new dates for 2023 Presidential and Governorship elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission has moved the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections from February 18, 2023 to February 25, 2023.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who stated this at a news conference in Abuja Saturday, February 26, attributed the rescheduling of the election to the late signing of the Electoral Amendment Act by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yakubu said Presidential and National Assembly elections would now hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023.

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According to him, the new date is to allow for conformity with the provisions of the Electoral laws which stipulates that elections notice be published at least 260 days to the elections

The INEC boss also said the electoral guidelines will also be published in due course.

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The new Act states that INEC must publish the notice of election at least 360 days to the polls.

Several groups had called on the President to sign the bill before February 22, 2022, in order to ensure that INEC would not need to change the date in conformity with the Act. However, the President signed the Amended electoral act on Friday, February 25, 2022.