Timetable and schedule of activities: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has disclosed that Presidential and NASS Elections will hold on February 25, 2023 while Governorship and State House of Assemblies elections will be held on March 11, 2023.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission disclosed the timetable and schedule of activities on Saturday 26th February 2022, during a press conference while presenting the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 General Elections, in Abuja headquarters.
Explaining the INEC’s decision, Professor Yakubu stated, “the Presidential and National Assembly elections shall hold on the third Saturday of the month of February of each General Election year, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections shall follow two weeks later.
As a result of the Timetable and schedule of activities, the 2023 General Election was scheduled to commence on 18th February 2023 with the Presidential and National Assembly elections, followed by the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on the 4th of March 2023.
However, the Independent National Electoral commission has not release the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election, as it normally would, because of the pending enactment of the Electoral Act 2022.
However, the Bill has now been signed into law.
The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman noted that the Commission has decided to adjust the dates of the 2023 General Election to ensure compliance with the provisions of the new law.
The timetable and schedule of activities for the elections, and Some of the critical activities and their dates of implementation are enunciated as follows::
i. Publication of Notice of Election – Monday 28th February 2022.
ii. Conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them – Monday 4th April 2022 to Friday 3rd June 2022.
iii. Submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online portal for Presidential and National Assembly election – 9.00am on Friday 10th June 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday 17th June 2022.
iv. Submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online nomination portal for Governorship and State Assembly elections – 9.00am on Friday 1st July 2022 to 6.00pm on Friday 15th July 2022.
v. Commencement of Campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly election – Wednesday 28th September 2022.
vi. Commencement of Campaign by political parties for Governorship and State Assembly elections – Wednesday 12th October 2022.
vii. Last day of campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday 23rd February 2023.
viii. Last day of campaign by political parties for Governorship and State Assembly elections – midnight on Thursday 9th March 2023
“Accordingly, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023. With this adjustment, the 2023 General Election is now 363 days away”, he dislosed.
He further noted that under the law, there are critical timebound activities from the publication of Notice of Election to the Conduct of Polls which form the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for elections.
