INEC Releases 2011 Election Time Table
ABUJA, Sept 07, (THEWILL) - Nigerians would troop out on January 22, 2011 to vote for a new President. This date was confirmed today when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released a comprehensive timetable for the 2011 general elections.
Also a new set of members of the National Assembly would emerge after voting on January 15, 2011.
The governorship election and those of the State Houses of Assembly will on January 29, 2010.
INEC Commissioner in charge of media and publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi announced the timetable to newsmen at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja at about 5.15 pm Nigerian time. He did not field reporters’ questions.
The time table indicated a strict compliance with the new Electoral Act and a tacit confirmation that the revised 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has taken effect, thus consigning the various arguments and debate as to the propriety or otherwise the need for presidential assent to the dustbin.
The time table as tight as it were also fixed between next week September 11 and October 30, 2010 for political parties to conduct their primaries and the issuance of notice of elections would be on October 13, while public campaigns by parties commences on October 17, 2010.
In the same vein, the collection of INEC forms CF001 for affidavit and form CF002 for list of candidates by political parties would start on October 19 and end October 22, 2010. 　But the last days for submission of same forms to the INEC headquarters for candidates is; National Assembly, November 22, 2010, Presidential candidate, November 29; and December 6, 2010 for Governorship and State Assembly elections.
Political parties wishing to withdraw or substitute candidates for the elections have the following dates to contend with, November 30, 2010 for National Assembly candidates, December 7, 2010 for Presidential Election and December 14, 2010 for governorship and State Assembly elections. The last day for the submission of nomination forms by political parties is December 14, 2010.
Nonetheless, INEC says campaigns officially close on the following dates, for national Assembly is January, 14, Presidential elections, January 21 and governorship and State Assembly elections, January 28. That is to say that all electioneering campaigns end on the eve of every election.
The Commission according to the timetable would publish officially the voters register. However, INEC slightly altered the earlier date it announced on Monday for the commencement of voters registration exercise. It will now start on November 1, 2010 and end November 14, 2010. The commission had announced that the exercise would start from the third week of October and end first week of November.
The tempo of political activities is expected now reach a feverish crescendo with the release of the timetable after weeks of foot-dragging by the commission.