An electoral officer hands a ballot paper to a voter at a polling station in the village of Tumfafi, near Kano, in northern Nigeria Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Nigerians are going to the polls for a presidential election Saturday, one week after a surprise delay for Africa's largest democracy. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the 2023 general election will hold as planned despite the security challenges in the country.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, stated this on Thursday at a public presentation of the 2022-2026 strategic plan and the 2023 election project plan in Abuja.
Yakubu said the 2023 polls will be governed by the new electoral act, which he says contains provisions that will enhance the capacity and ability of the commission to better manage the electoral process.
“We have carefully listened to the demand of Nigerians for seamless processes, particularly with regard to enhanced voter education, better distribution of voters to polling units, quality training of election personnel, functionality of electronic devices, improved logistics, prompt commencement of polls, availability of assistive devices for persons with disability at polling units and greater transparency in result management,” he said.
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“We are also aware of the security challenges and their impact on the electoral process. We will continue to engage early and intensely with the security agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and materials, accredited observers and the media and, above all, the voters.
“Clearly, these are challenging times but we are determined that election must hold in 2023.
“However, this is a shared responsibility. INEC plays a critical role but the commission alone cannot deliver the elections we all desire.
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“I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to join hands with us in ensuring that we make a success of the process.”
The chairman thanked stakeholders and international organisations for their support in developing the election project plan.
“On this note, I would like to thank all stakeholders for honouring our invitation,” he said.
“The commission also appreciates our development partners, especially the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), for consistently supporting the commission’s efforts to deepen electoral integrity and consolidate our democracy.”
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According to INEC, the presidential and national assembly elections will hold on February 25, 2023. The governorship and state house of assembly polls will take place on March 11, 2023.
There have, however, been calls for the presidential election to be postponed.
Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, had said the 2023 elections should be suspended, while an interim government should be in office for six months to develop “a new-look peoples’ constitution which should provide for part-time legislators and non-executive president”.
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