The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has announced that the next general election will be held on Saturday, February 18 for 2023 in the country.
Prof Mahmood Yakubu made this known on Wednesday during a one-day public hearing on the National Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021, organised by the Senate Committee on INEC.
He said, “By the principle established by the Commission, the 2023 General Election will be held 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.”
Yakubu also said 13 years after the recommendation by Justice Mohammed Uwais for the establishment of the 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”. “No doubt, INEC is saddled with many responsibilities as it is election throughout the year in Nigeria.
“Since 2015 election, 124 cases of electoral offences have been prosecuted with only 60 convictions”, Yakubu said.
The INEC boss said while the commission is excited about today’s action, the commission wants 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 also appealed to the National Assembly for the expeditious passage of the Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021 and the pending review of the electoral legal framework generally.
“We are confident that the National Assembly will expedite legislative action and conclude work on the legal framework in earnest. The Commission is anxious to know the legal framework to govern the conduct of the 2023 General Election,” he said.
