The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, said that guidelines and regulations for the 2023 general election will be released in April.
He disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday when he received a delegation from John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation led by its president, John Palfrey.
The INEC boss recalled that in 2019, the commission was reined by time due to the uncertainty that trailed the electoral legal framework which saw commission signing off on the regulations and guidelines on January 19, 2019, few weeks to the election.
“But we hope that this time around, we will sign off on the regulations and guidelines at least 10 months before the next general election, which is very good progress for us.”
Yakubu expressed excitement over 2022 Electoral Bill signed byPresident Muhammadu Buhari while speaking on the commission’s source of power to develop the guidelines and regulations
“We now have a new electoral law, on the bases of which we commenced work on the regulations and guidelines.
“Electoral Act cannot say everything, so the National Assembly donates part of its power to INEC to make Regulations and Guidelines and these Regulations and Guidelines have forms of subsidiary legislation.”
Yabuku affirmed that the commission had virtually finished the processes.
“Our Election Project Plan (EPP) is ready and about to be published, the Strategic Plan is already completed and published.
“We also publish and gazette the Guidelines and send the three documents to the stakeholders and general public next month.”
Earlier in his comment, the President of John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John Palfrey, hailed the commission for the successes achieved in areas where it made recommendations after 2019 general election.
Palfrey recalled that in 2019, the foundation discussed with INEC on several things that were underway at that time.
“One was the progress of the Electoral Act, and I’d like to congratulate you on the passage of the Electoral Act.
“Second, we discussed and encouraged the creation of a new department on Gender and Inclusivity, here at INEC and congratulate you on the creation of this department and the successful implementation.
“The third thing we discussed was the creation of new polling units and I understand that these too have been completed and that you are well in preparation for 2023,” he said.
