•Fixes February 14, 2015 for Presidential election •Governorship election scheduled for February 28 •Ekiti: June 21, 2014 •Osun: August 9, 2014
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last night released the time table for the 2015 general elections.
First on the cards is the Presidential election which is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2015.
Election into the National Assembly will come up on the same day.
The governorship election and state assembly polls will follow two weeks later–February 28, according to the time table issued by the Secretary to the Commission, Augusta Ogakwu.
The Ekiti governorship election is fixed for June 21, 2014 while the Osun governorship election is billed for August 9, 2014.
According to the Electoral Act, the parties are expected to submit the list of their candidates at least 60 days to the elections.
In effect, the names of the presidential candidates should reach INEC not later than December 17, 2014 and those contesting governorship election the end of the same month.
Declaration for office and campaign by the candidates leading up to the party congresses/conventions are expected to come up earlier.
Section 99(1) of the Act (As Amended) requires INEC to allow campaign at least 90 days before any poll.
Section 25 of the Electoral Act mandates INEC to organise elections 150 days or 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of office of any holder.”
The Section, which applies to all political offices, reads: “An election to the office of the President (as applicable to all offices) shall be held on a date to be appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission in accordance with the constitution and this Act.
“An election to the said office of the President (as applicable to all offices) shall be held on a date not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of that office.”
INEC is expected to release guidelines on the elections in due course.
Source: The Nation
