Elections will hold as scheduled – INEC Chairman
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that the elections will hold as scheduled.
The INEC Chairman gave the reassurance at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday to brief the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the Commission’s preparations for the 2023 general elections.
While addressing the State House Press Corps after briefing the Council, Professor Yakubu identified two challenges; petroleum products and currency matters which he said have been resolved.
He said: “So rest assured that the elections will hold as scheduled, on the 25th of February for the National and on the 11th of March for the State elections”.
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Speaking earlier on his visit to the State House, the INEC Chairman said: “It is a general briefing. It is in keeping with the tradition, that on the eve of significant elections, general elections in particular, the Commission is invited to brief Council. It is also invited to brief the Council of State. The briefing for the Council of State is going to take place on Friday the 10th.
“So basically, it’s about the readiness of the commission to conduct the elections. So we took members of the Council through all the preparations that we have put in place for the election; the challenges that we have taken and the steps that we have taken to address those challenges.
“I can tell you two of these challenges quickly. The first one is the availability of petroleum products. We had a meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and they raised that as an issue of concern.
“Immediately after that meeting, we interfaced with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. And right now there is a technical Committee working. The idea is for them to avail us of the use of their over 900 manned Mega Stations and floating mega stations nationwide for stocking products to ensure that the Commission doesn’t suffer any encumbrances in the movement of personnel and materials for the election.
“The Second one is the currency issue, and again we had an engagement yesterday with the Governor of the Central Bank and he assured us that the Commission will not suffer any encumbrances on that score.
“Fortunately for us, all our accounts, national and state are held by the apex bank. So we raised those challenges but have found a solution to those challenges”, he added.
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