The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States’ governorship elections for Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Festus Okoye, the INEC national commissioner and chairman, of the information and voter education committee, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Okoye, the tenure of the incumbent governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma will end on January 14, 2024, while that of Kogi and Bayelsa States governors- Yahaya Bello and Duoye Diri will terminate on January 26 and February 13 of the same year, respectively.
Imo joined the league of states where off-season governorship elections are conducted following the Supreme Court judgement that sacked the then governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha in January 2020.
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The INEC statement further read: “This decision is in fulfilment of the requirement of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which mandates the commission to publish the notice of election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the elections.
“Similarly, Sections 178(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 mandates the commission to conduct such elections not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the last holder of the office.
“The statutory notice for the elections will be published in the three states on November 14, 2022. Party primaries will be held from March 27 to April 17, 2023 while the online portal for the submission of nomination forms (EC9 and EC9B) by political parties opens at 9.00am on April 24, 2023 and closes at 6.00pm on May 5, 2023.
“The final list of candidates will be published on June 9, 2023 while campaign by political parties commences on June 14, 2023 and ends at midnight on November 9, 2023. The full timetable and schedule of activities has been uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms,” INEC said in the statement.
