Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has set dates for the commencement of campaigns by political parties for the presidential, national assembly, governorship and state assembly.
The commission said the campaign for presidential and national assembly elections will commence on September 2022 while that of governorship and State House of Assembly will commence on October 12, 2022.
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The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna, Hajiya Asmau Sani Maikudi, made the announcement during a press briefing in the state during the ongoing voters’ registration as he noted that the last day of campaign by political parties for the presidential and National Assembly is at midnight of February 23, 2023, while that of governorship and State Assembly is at midnight of March 9, 2023.
She however disclosed that the commission has also increased the number of polling units in the state from 5, 012 to 8, 012 adding that the continuous voter registration exercise has commenced in Birnin Gwari.
Maikudi said that the conversion of voting points across the federation by the commission led to the state having an additional 2, 910 and advised registrants to make enquiries as to the new polling units located close to their residences as well as old Personal Voters Card (PVC) holders who may wish to change their location.
She said, “Under the law, there are critical time-bound activities for the publication of Notice of Election to the Conduct of Polls which form the timetable and schedule of activities for election.
“Some of the crucial activities and their dates of implementation are as follows: publication of notice of election 28th February 2022, the conduct of party primaries including; resolutions of disputes arising from them 4th April 2022, submission of nomination forms to INEC via the online portal for Presidential and National Assembly election from 9 am on 10th June 2022 to 6 pm on 17th June 2022.
“Submission of nomination forms to INEC via online nomination portal for Governorship and State Assembly elections from 9 am, 1st June 2002 to 6 pm on 15th June 2022, commencement of campaign by political parties for Presidential and National Assembly elections on 28th September 2022, the commencement of campaigns by political parties for Governorship and State Assembly elections 12th October 2022.
“The last day of campaign by political parties for the Presidential and National Assembly elections is midnight 23rd February 2023 and the last day of campaign by political parties for the Governorship and State Assembly election is midnight 9th March 2023.”
She then informed that there has been remarkable improvement in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise stressing that, “In the last two weeks, the online registration has gone up to 236, 855 and the complete registration of 84, 335 as of 7th March 2022 because registration is only completed after physical capture.”
Asked if inmates will be allowed to vote at the 2023 elections, she said, “It is at the discretion of the National Assembly. If it is a law, INEC has no option but to implement the law and once it is passed by the National Assembly, people in correctional centres will be allowed to vote.”
