The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday announced new dates for the 2023 elections following the late signing of the Electoral Act by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The INEC shifted the 2023 Presidential election from February 18 to February 25, 2023.
This was announced by the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023.
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Yakubu explained that the new date is to allow for conformity with the provisions of the Electoral laws which stipulates that elections notice be published at least 360 days to the elections
The INEC boss also said the electoral guidelines will also be published in due course.
The new Act states that INEC must publish the notice of election at least 360 days to the polls.
Several groups had called on the President to sign the bill before February 22, 2022, in order to ensure that INEC would not need to change the date in conformity with the Act.
However, Buhari signed it on February 25, 2022.
However, with the latest announcement, political parties are expected to begin the collection of forms from INEC from March 1, 2022.
See a breakdown of the schedule of activities below.
| Activity | Presidential/national assembly
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Governorship/state houses of assembly |
| Conduct of party primaries/resolution of disputes | April 4 – June 3 | April 4 – June 3 |
| Submission of nomination forms | June 10 – June 17 | July 1 – July 15 |
| Last date for withdrawal by candidates/replacement of withdrawn candidates by political parties
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July 15 | August 12 |
| Last day for submission of nomination forms | August 8 | August 18 |
| Campaign by political parties | September 28, 2022 – February 23, 2023 | October 12, 2022 – March 9, 2023 |
| Last day for submission of names of polling agents by political parties | December 30, 2022 | January 6, 2023 |
| Election date | February 25, 2023 | March 11, 2023 |
