2023 General  Elections: INEC Holds Consultative Meeting In Abuja, Restates Preparedness For Exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reiterated its preparedness for the 2023 general elections holding in three hundred and ninety-six days.

The chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this while addressing political parties at the first quarter consultative meeting at Abuja, pledged to cooperate and support the umbrella body of political parties in Nigeria, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC as enshrined in its Code of Conduct.

Professor Yakubu noted that the commission will soon announce the actual dates for the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, nationwide as it is presently undertaking the most comprehensive clean-up of data to ensure that only eligible citizens are added to the voters’ register for the 2023 General Elections.

He implored political leaders to continue to encourage eligible voters, who have not registered, those, who wish to transfer from their present Polling Unit to new ones or those, who have any reason to apply for a new voter’s card to do so immediately.

The INEC boss, who reeled out some guidelines for party primaries, reechoed the need for political parties to uphold transparent and rancour-free primaries adding that political parties must also respect INEC chosen dates for the primaries.

Speaking on the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly, the INEC Chairman said that as soon as it is signed into law, the commission will release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 General Elections based on the new law.

In an address, the national chairman, IPAC, Engineer Yusuf Sani, commended the leadership of INEC for its relentless commitment in the entrenchment of democracy in the country through innovations and application of science and technology in the conduct of elections.

He promised that in their capacity as leaders of political parties, they can bear testimony to the diligence and efficiency shown by INEC in the distribution of electoral materials and deployment of personnel in the conduct of the Anambra State Governorship Election especially the impacts of the application of the Voter Enrollment Device and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, which cumulatively resulted in the smooth conduct of the election among other technological devices hence, widely acclaimed by stakeholders and observers as transparent, credible, free and fair.