INEC releases timetable for 2019 general elections

*Insists on Jan. 13 date for Anambra Central Senatorial re-run

Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has released timetable and schedules of activities for the 2019 general elections, 402 days to the opening of ballot on February 16, 2019, for presidential and National Assembly polls.

Also released was the timelines for the Federal Capital Territory area councils elections, scheduled to hold on March 2, 2019, the same day governorship and state assembly elections scheduled to hold in 29 states.

Yakubu said the release is in exercise of powers invested in the commission by the 1999 constitution and 2010 Electoral Act, as amended.

The INEC boss used the forum to also reconfirm January 13, 2018 date of Anambra Central Senatorial election, saying the commission is going ahead with the poll in compliance with the order of the Court of Appeal.

According to the timetable for general election issued by INEC, publication of notice for election for both national and state elections is fixed for August 17, 2018 while that of FCT councils is September 3, 2018.

The timeline shows that collection of nomination forms by political parties for national and state elections would hold between August 11 and 24 while that of FCT is slated for September 3 to 10, 2018.

Conduct of party primaries, including resolution of dispute arising from primaries, is fixed for between August 18 and October 7 while political campaign starts on November 18, 2018.

All political parties have December 3 as last day for the submission of nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates.

Laying emphasis on the need for INEC and all stakeholders to prepare early for 2019 election, he said the commission is saddled with a huge task to conduct elections in 1,558 constituencies in 2019, consisting of one presidential, 29 governorship, 109 senatorial, 360 federal and 991 state constituencies elections, aside six area councils and 62 councillorship elections in the FCT.

“The sequence of polls begins with the presidential and National Assembly elections, followed by governorship, state Assembly and FCT area councils.

“The decision of the commission to fix election dates is to engender certainty in our electoral calendar and to enable all stakeholders to prepare adequately for elections, as is the case in many mature and developing democracies”, he said.

He warned all political parties to abide strictly with relevant provision of Electoral Act and constitution with regard to commencement of political campaigns.

Meanwhile the commission has said additional 80 political associations have filed papers to be registered as political parties, apart from the 21 recently approved by INEC.