Don’t Adjust 2023 Election Timetable – President Buhari To INEC

In order to ensure that the schedule for holding the general election in 2023 is rigorously followed, President Muhammadu Buhari has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instructions that no changes to the dates would be accepted.

The Governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on Saturday, March 11, 2023, according to the schedule provided by INEC last year. The Presidential and National Assembly elections will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

However, there were reports, last week, that the electoral body may shift the polls by a minimum of two weeks due to logistics issues.

Key among these challenges is the incessant bvvrning of INEC offices across the country and the ins3curi­ty challenges in the South-East and North-East.

Also, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had last week expressed worry over the lingering fuel crisis in the country, noting that the sc@rcity might aff3ct the movement of election materials and election personnel.

There are also fears that the ongoing naira sc@rcity might negatively aff3ct the elections even though it is believed that it will be addressed before the polls.

A senior official of the com­mission informed Daily Inde­pendent that while the elector­al body is determined to stick to the scheduled date, recent developments in the country may force it to announce an extension.

“The commission is doing all it can to stick to the an­nounced dates but given the numerous challenges being witnessed across the country, such as burning of our offic­es, insecurity challenges and attack on INEC officials, lin­gering fuel scarcity coupled with problems arising from the naira redesign, I won’t be surprised if the election is postponed by two weeks min­imum.”

However, the Commission­er for Information and Voter Education of INEC, Festus Okoye, denied any plans of ex­tension, saying the dates fixed for the conduct of the elections remain firm.

“The dates fixed by the com­mission for the conduct of the 2023 general election are fixed and firm”, he said.

Also affirming Okoye’s position, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said there are no plans to shift the elec­tions.

“Not at all. The commis­sion is not even contemplat­ing shifting the 2023 general election”.

Speaking with Daily Inde­pendent on Sunday, a senior presidential aide who asked not to be named said President Muhammadu Buhari has giv­en clear instructions to INEC to ensure that the scheduled dates are strictly adhered to.

“I don’t think the fears of whether the election dates will be shifted is justified. The pres­ident has given clear instruc­tions to INEC to ensure that the dates announced for the election are strictly adhered to. Also, the commission has said it for the umpteenth time that the dates remain sacrosanct. So right now, we are confident that the presidential election will hold as scheduled on Feb­ruary 25.

“The only issue INEC raised which is very legitimate is the issue of fuel scarcity which they said may aff3ct logistics and I think that has been settled as INEC itself had said it will not rely on the fuel supplied by the Nigerian National Petro­leum Company Limited for the movement of its personnel and materials ahead of the general elections”.