2023: INEC announces date for Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi governorship polls

The Commission made this known at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.

Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, confirmed the development in a statement he signed on Tuesday.

The dates: Okoye said that the primary elections by parties has been scheduled for March 27 to April 17, 2023.

What the law says: Okoye stated that the decision is in fulfillment of the requirement of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, mandating INEC to publish the Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the elections.

What you should know: The electoral umpire further stated that the tenure of the incumbent Governor of Imo State ends on 14th January 2024 while those of Kogi and Bayelsa States end on 26th January 2024 and 13th February 2024 respectively.

INEC also added that the statutory Notice for the governorship elections will be published in the three States on 14th November 2022.

Meanwhile: INEC has invited interested international organisations across the world to come and observe Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made the call when he received the delegation of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Pre-Election Fact Finding Mission to Nigeria.

The group was led by Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former Chairman, of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, at the commission headquarters on Monday, October 2022, in Abuja.

The INEC chairman disclosed that it was a demonstration of the commission’s openness and ritual to receive international observers.