The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally published the Notice of Election (Form EC60A) for the 2023 general elections.
This is in compliance with the timetable and schedule of activities released over the weekend by INEC as well as constitutional provisions.
The development signified the formal commencement of electioneering activities as dictated by the Electoral Act 2022.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had on Saturday after the emergency management meeting of the commission released a comprehensive timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 polls.
The commission in a tweet via its official Twitter account said the publishing of the form EC60A is in line with the first activity in the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections.
The commission tweeted @inecnigeria: “And in line with the first activity in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the commission hereby publishes the Notice of Election (Form EC 60A) today, Monday 28th February 2022.”
From the schedule of activities, the 2023 elections begin on February 25, 2023 with the presidential and national assembly elections.
This will be followed two weeks later by the governorship and state houses of assembly elections on March 11, 2023.
The statement reads: “In compliance with Section 28 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires INEC to publish the “Notice of Election” in each state of the federation and the FCT stating: (a) the date of the election; and (b) the place where the nomination papers are to be delivered.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has urged the National Assembly to immediately expunge the clause pointed out by the president which mandates political appointees to resign from their positions before participating as delegates at political party congresses and conventions or, as aspirants to elective offices.
The IPAC National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, also said the section of the electoral Act that made the case for Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) is commendable.
Similarly, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said with President Buhari’s assent to the Electoral Act, elections will now be transparent and the people’s votes will begin to count.
Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement by his media office, noted that history was made when President Buhari assented to the 2022 Electoral Act and Nigerians would now exercise their franchise through a transparent electoral system that reflects the actual will of the people.
“Elections were massively rigged in 2003 and 2007. Towards 2011 a slow process of electoral reform started that saw some significant improvement in 2015 which sadly relapsed in 2019.
“The effect of public perception that the electoral system is not clean has for long been increasing voter apathy in our country,” he said.
