Sekinah Lawal/
The Independent National Electoral Commission has shifted today’s presidential and National Assembly elections till next week – February 23, citing challenges in logistics and operational plan.
It has also shifted the March 2 governorship and state assembly elections to March 9, 2019.
The decisions were reached early today at a crucial meeting, up till 1:30am, between INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and 12 national commissioners in Abuja, according to sources close to the meeting.
Professor Yakubu in a statement issued today says: “This was a difficult decision for the Commission to take, but necessary for the successful delivery of the elections and the consolidation of our democracy.”
Here’s a copy of the statement from the INEC chairman:
Presidential and National Assembly elections were scheduled to take place throughout the country today, while governorship and state assembly elections were to take place on March 2.
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 April 11.