Security threats won’t prevent preparation for 2023 elections says INEC

 In spite of the heighten insecurity situation across the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed to continue with preparation and readiness to conduct 2023 and other terminal elections.

INEC has fixed February 18, 2023 for the presidential election while promising to release timetable for the National Assembly and governorship elections in November this year.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Barr. Festus Okoye made the declaration yesterday, during a stakeholders’ meeting on polling units in Kano.In spite of the heighten insecurity situation across the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed to continue with preparation and readiness to conduct 2023 and other terminal elections.

INEC has fixed February 18, 2023 for the presidential election while promising to release timetable for the National Assembly and governorship elections in November this year.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Barr. Festus Okoye made the declaration yesterday, during a stakeholders’ meeting on polling units in Kano.Meanwhile, INEC in Bauchi State has moved to create an additional 1,349 polling units across the 20 councils of the state to ease bottlenecks during casting of votes and ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocol.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alh. Ibrahim Abdullahi, said all existing 174 expanded polling units are to be confirmed as polling units, in addition to the proposed new ones to make voting more convenient for voters, as well as follow COVID-19 preventive protocol.

Abdullahi, who stated this during a stakeholders meeting at the weekend, said the essence was to make the electoral process easier for people, adding that some polling units may be relocated to more appropriate areas for ease of accessibility.

As at the 2019 general election, the state has a total of 2,462,843 registered voters, 212 registration areas comprising 4,074 polling units as well as 1,349 convertible polling units, which have been recommended for upgrading and relocation as the case may be.