INEC fixes new date for presidential election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has shifted Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections till next week 23 February.

The decision was reached early today in a talk between between INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and 12 national commissioners in Abuja, according to sources close to the meeting.

Professor Yakubu will be briefing the media later today on the decision, amidst reports of logistics problems faced by the commission.

The meeting, which began Friday evening, was still in progress up till 1.30 a.m.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman told newsmen that the decision of the meeting will be communicated later today and that some decision about the election had been reached.

“I can confirm to you that the INEC Chairman and the 12 national commissioners are in the meeting.

” Decisions have been taken and you will be addressed later,” Oyekanmi said.

Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to take place throughout the country today, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on 2 March.

The national elections are expected to hold at 119,973 polling units across the country while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas and 36 States and the FCT.

It will not be the first time that the commission would postpone a scheduled general election.

In 2015, the presidential election was shifted from February 14 to March 28th, 2015; while the governorship and assembly elections scheduled for 28 February were shifted to 11 April 11.