The 2023 General Election will involve an estimated one million electoral officials (both permanent and temporary or ad hoc staff) deployed to 176,846 polling units in 8,809 wards and 774 Local Government Areas across Nigeria.
That’s according to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
He spoke Thursday at the unveiling of INEC’s 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan (SP) and the 2023 Election Project Plan (EPP) in Abuja.
The 144-page 2022-2026 Strategic Plan (SP) and the 111-page 2023 Election Project Plan (EPP) are the outcome of a comprehensive review of the 2017-2021 SP and the 2019 EPP.
The Strategic Plan is designed to assist INEC to develop a pragmatic roadmap that will serve as a practical guide in executing its constitutional duty in the next five years.
Similarly, the Election Project Plan (EPP) is a collection of activities of departments and directorates with set timelines for the successful conduct of the 2023 General Election.
Professor Yakubu said the timetable and schedule for the general election have been fixed and require that politicians and political parties abide by them.
He also pointed out that the 2023 elections will be based on the Electoral Act 2022.
“The election will be governed by a new Electoral Act 2022, which contains many progressive provisions that will enhance the capacity of the Commission to conduct elections and manage the electoral process better," he said.
The General Election will be conducted for 1,491 constituencies nationwide, consisting of one presidential constituency, 109 senatorial districts, 360 federal constituencies, 28 governorship elections, and 993 state constituencies.
Professor Yakubu also said INEC would be building on the conduct of past elections.
"The commission relies on three key elements. First is the knowledge and experience gathered from the conduct of previous elections. Second is the use of innovations to enhance electoral integrity and improve the voter experience. Third, is the institutionalisation of the culture of planning,” he pointed out.
Election Must Hold in 2023 -Yakubu
The Election Project Plan focuses on key objectives identified by INEC.
"We have carefully listened to the demand of Nigerians for seamless processes, particularly with regard to enhanced voter education, better distribution of voters to polling units, quality training of election personnel, the functionality of electronic devices, improved logistics, prompt commencement of polls, availability of assistive devices for persons with disability at polling units and greater transparency in result management,”
Security is also an important issue, as noted by Prof. Yakubu.
“We will continue to engage early and intensely with the security agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and materials, accredited observers and the media, and, above all, the voters. Clearly, these are challenging times but we are determined that the election must hold in 2023,” according to the INEC chief.
"Let once again reiterate that the dates for all activities in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election are firm and fixed and all stakeholders are advised to take this into consideration in planning their activities."
The INEC Chairman urged eligible Nigerians to endeavour to get their Permanent Voter Card before 30 June.
