Today is typically when the state assembly and gubernatorial elections take place. Nevertheless, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared on Wednesday that the election would now take place on March 18.
In 28 states, the elections were originally scheduled for March 11.
Many Nigerians had hoped that the political turmoil surrounding the 2023 polls would finish this weekend so that they could fully return to their regular lives. Instead, their hopes were dashed.
The delay in the court’s judgment, which allowed INEC to modify the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) in advance of the election, was cited by the electoral commission as the reason for its decision to postpone the elections.
Before to the governorship and state assembly elections, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, had asked the court of appeal to stop INEC from reorganizing BVAS.
Many stakeholders had projected that the electoral commission may postpone the presidential and national assembly elections before the February 25 poll because of a cash shortfall and nationwide gasoline shortage.
But against all the obstacles, the commission managed to hold the presidential and national assembly elections.
It is crucial to remember that INEC has the authority under the law to postpone elections whenever “natural catastrophes or other situations” pose a threat to their conduct.
The Electoral Act of 2022’s Section 24(2) reads in part: “Where a date has been set for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections due to natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date for the hol
Elections have been postponed by INEC four times thus far since 2011.
GENERAL ELECTION OF 2011
Due to the delayed deployment of electoral materials, INEC under Attahiru Jega moved the April 2, 2011, national assembly poll by two days in the past four years.
When voting had begun in various areas of the nation, including Kaduna, Kebbi, Delta, Lagos, Zamfara, and Enugu, the commission announced the postponement.
Subsequently, Jega said that the entire election process had been rescheduled. Elections for the national parliament, president, and governorship/house of representatives were all pushed back to April 9, April 11, and April 26, respectively.
GENERAL ELECTION OF 2015
Due to security concerns, INEC, led by Jega, changed the general election schedule for 2015 by six weeks on February 16, 2015.
The governorship and house of assembly elections for 2015 were moved to April 11, while the presidential and national assembly elections were moved from February 14 to March 28.
The commission “cannot easily brush off the advise of the nation’s security chiefs” since INEC “is not a security agency that could by itself ensure protection for employees and materials, as well as voters during elections,” Jega had stated.
Yet, a lot of commentators claimed that the 2015 election was delayed because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was in power at the time, was afraid of losing.
GENERAL ELECTION OF 2019
The 2019 presidential and national assembly elections were postponed from February 18 to February 23 by INEC on February 16.
The election was postponed by INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu a few hours before Nigerians were scheduled to cast their ballots.
Elections for the governor and state assembly were postponed to March 9, 2019.
Due to a logistical issue with the supply of electoral materials to the states, the commission decided to postpone the elections.
While most Nigerians have followed the country’s political process throughout time, the postponing of the 2023 gubernatorial and state assembly elections did not come as a surprise.
