…seeks replacement of manual with electronic voting
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday announced the date for the 2023 presidential election.
INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the 2023 presidential election is scheduled to hold on February 18, 2023.
In his goodwill message at the inauguration of the special adhoc committee on the review of the 1999 constitution, the INEC Chairman told members of the House of Representatives they are about 855 days left for the next general election.
Yakubu said that before the 2015 general elections, INEC came out with the general principle that election would be held on the second Saturday in February.
According to him such is the practice in the U.S. and Ghana where they have a fixed day for their elections.
Meanwhile, Prof. Mahmood asked for the replacement of the current manual voting with an electronic system.
He said that Nigeria’s electoral process was too manual and very archaic, adding that there must be an amendment to accommodate electronic voting in the country’s electoral process.
“You have seen what we achieved in Edo where we were able to upload results electronically; so the impediment must be removed,” he said
He also called for the establishment of electoral offences commission to punish offenders adding that the review of the constitution must provide a punitive measure for electoral offenders in the country.
He said that many panels had in the past wanted to establish electoral offences commission to punish electoral offenders but that could not materialise.
