GOVERNORSHIP AND ASSEMBLY ELECTION COMING ELECTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY ONE WEEK

By OLALEKAN OLAYORI

Reporting from Lagos Nigeria

March 10^th 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the governorship and state assemblies election scheduled for Saturday 11^th March, 2023, to next Saturday 18^th March, 2023.

The meeting was held in Abuja, on Wednesday night, 8^th March, 2023, around the closing hour of the day which started by 7.00pm to 9.00pm. The Court of Appeal gave the go ahead to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Machines (BIVAS).

According to the National Commissioner  and  Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the Election would not hold, as earlier scheduled, because it needed more time to reconfigure the (BIVAS) machines.  The BIVAS machines were used for the just concluded presidential election on 25th of February, 2023 and needed maintenance.

As explained by sources, The Appeal Court has indicated that by allowing the objection of the Labour Party, and their insistence that the election should go ahead as scheduled, this will cause delay, and, affect INEC, in its preparation, for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

This issue around the BIVAS machines appeared after Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC,was announced, as the president-elect. It is understood that Peter Obi of the Labour Party wasn’t pleased with the result and got an order from the appeal court to restrain INEC from reconfiguring the BIVAS, used for the presidential election.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, said restraining, (INEC) Independent National Electoral Commission, will only cause delay, and affect, the governorship election. He also added that INEC had an Affidavit with the court assuring all accreditation data contained in the BIVAS is safe and can’t be lost.

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