The electoral umpire, also said that final list of candidates for State elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly) would be published on 4th October.
INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this this in Abuja, at an imperative meeting with experts conducting election in volatile security environment, organised in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
Mahmood appealed to political parties and candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns, devoid of rancour.
“Activities towards the 2023 General Election will enter the critical stages this month.
‘In the next 19 days i.e. on 20th September 2022, the Commission will publish the final list of candidates for national elections (Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives) as provided in Sec. 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities released by the Commission.
“This will be followed on 4th October 2022 by the publication of the final list of candidates for State elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly).
“Campaign in public by political parties will officially commence on 28th September 2022 as provided by Sec. 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“As campaigns commence, we appeal to all political parties and candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns,” he said.
Country Director, CDD, Indayat Hassan, explained that the meeting was organised for stakeholders to brainstorm how to de-escalate insecurity ahead of the plebiscite.
Hassan said: “This meeting is actually been held against the background of the different insecurity plaguing the country ranging from the separatist agitation in the southeast, the banditry and jihadist in the Northwest Boko Haram insurgency that is still raging in the North East itself and all the security in comparison to the 2015 challenges we experienced.
“So this all idea, we have to start talking about how to de-escalate the tension and how to secure the environment, such that the Independent National Electoral Commission will be able to assess all areas of the country to conduct peaceful and legitimate elections come 2023.
“I think one for this election is the security of election materials, the security of personnel, the security of voters actually, in context and their ability to assess all areas.
“There are actually problems but we should also note that this is not just an INEC problem, this is a stakeholders problem, this security way are already prevailing.
“The challenge we are having is how do we conduct elections against the background of this prevailing insecurity and it will behold on the federal government and other stakeholders to come in.
“Of course the security forces were already doing some work in terms of reducing tension and bringing sanity to this part of the country to hasten it up such that elections can be held peacefully and voters can actually exercise their franchise during this election.”
