INEC announces election dates

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday opened the floodgates for political activities as it released the time table for the 2011 general elections.

According to the time table, National Assembly elections will come first on January 15, 2011, to be followed by the presidential election on January 22.

The process will be concluded on January 29, with the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The INEC Commissioner in charge of Publicity, Mr. Solomon Soyebi, presented the time table in Abuja.

He explained that the release of the guidelines was in line with the powers conferred on the Commission by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2010 and all other powers enabling it to perform its functions.

Details of the election schedule shows that primaries of political parties will commence on September 11 and end on October 30, 2010.

Public campaigns by parties will begin from October 17, 2010, while voters registration will begin from November 1 to 14.

The date for the registration of voters is said to be pursuant to Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2010, which provides that the exercise be carried out 90 days before polling day.