Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, has charged incoming senators to start work early on the electoral legal framework ahead of the 2023 general election.
This is as he pledged the commission’s preparedness to work with the national assembly to review and strengthen the country’s electoral laws.
Yakubu spoke in Abuja on Thursday while presenting certificates of return to senators-elect at the Africa Hall of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.
He said: “For the commission, we are glad that we are presenting the certificates of return to our lawmakers. As a matter of urgency the commission will begin work of post-2019 election review and roadmap for 2023. I want to assure you that we will continue to work with the national assembly to review and strengthen our electoral laws.
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“But I want to appeal to the senators elected to please stark work early and complete work on the electoral legal framework in good time well ahead of the 2023 general election. There is a lot of work ahead but very limited time available.”
Meanwhile, in spite of his earlier challenge to the INEC Chairman, the Imo state governor and senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, was conspicuous in his absence at the ceremony.
He had on Wednesday told his supporters in Owerri, the Imo State capital that the electoral body had no right to strike his name out of the list of senators because the returning officer had claimed he announced the result under duress.
