Nigeria’s electoral body said Sunday it was postpon-ing the 2023 presidential and parliamentary polls by one week, due to a delay in passing a new electoral law.
The new legislation allows electronic transfer of results, a development that could improve transpar-ency and help prevent fraud in a country where allegations of rigging have often plagued polls.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who is to step down next year after serving two four-year terms, signed the amended election bill on Friday, more than seven months after it was passed by the Senate.
Presidential elections were scheduled to take place on February 18, 2023. It is a legal requirement that, 360 days before the vote, INEC releases a notice of election.
But it was unable to do so before the president approved the amendment, and the 360-day period has now passed.
“Accordingly, the presidential and national as-sembly elections will now (be held) on Saturday 25th February 2023,” the chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission Mah-mood Yakubu told reporters.
“Governorship and state house assembly elec-tions” would then be held two weeks later, on March 11, 2023, he said.
Setting a new electoral Calendar will also affect campaigning, which can start 150 days before elec-tions, and has to stop 24 hours ahead of voting day.—AFP
