 The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it may be forced to postpone the 2023 elections if President Mohammed of Bahari fails to ascend to the Rewalked Electoral Act Amendment Bill by Tuesday. This was stated by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman for the Photo Education Committee, Festus Okoye. Mr Minister, Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much! Many have been pre-empting the outcome of this assent of Mr President. A lot of people are saying that while the president is still moreing over this, Tuesday might not necessarily be sacrosanct. Bydd yw'r cymhwyl yn ddweud bod yna'r kalender bai bai yw'r gweithio? No, mae'n ddweud bod yna, mae hefyd ei gweithio, mae'n ddweud bod yna'r kalender bai. Mae'n ddweud bod yna'r gweithio yw'r gweithio ar y cyflodyniadau ei wneud yw'r Lleidwyr Lleidwyr Cymru. A mae efallai'n gwneud i'r Lleidwyr Lleidwyr Cymru ar y cwylwyr. ac y Llegofrenwyr Llegofynedd y Llegodraeth Cymru er mwynhau. Ond o ran y bydd ddigon o'r ffordd yn ysgrifennu, mae'r cyfnod yn ei wneud yn fwyfr yma, sy'n mynd i'r tynnu'r clygol a'r ffordd. Dydig yn y cyfnod, mae'n ysgrifennu ar Llegofynedd y Llegodraeth Cymru, mae'n dweud y Llegofynedd y Llegofynedd y Llegofynedd y Llegofynydd, o gwahole Those immediately to the conduct of an election, to release the times table and scheduled of activities. So we are still within the compass allowed by the law to release a times table schedule of activities. But we cannot close our eyes to the fact that there is a bill pending with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but one thing that is certain and one thing that is very clear to us is that is that under section 58 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which, as you know, is the fundamental law of the land, the president has been given a period of 30 days within which to ascend to a particular bill or decline an ascent. And for us, that particular period has not elapsed. And we cannot, as an electoral management body, force the president to exercise his constitutional right, which has not elapsed. So for us, we are still operating on the basis of the existing electoral legal framework. But Tuesday is supposed to be a deadline. So if the president doesn't ascend to the bill by tomorrow, what's the next line of action for INEC? As I have just pointed out, the bill before the president is still in court. It has not been properly and fundamentally formed. And until it becomes law, the commission cannot just engage in speculation relating to what may likely happen. So does that mean that you are going to continue with what we already have, which is the 2010, which is amended? This is what you're going to go ahead with the elections with being that the one that's on Mr President's table is neither here nor there. So you're saying that you're not going to plan based on the bill that is on Mr President's table, right? On the basis of planning, as a commission, we're already planning for the 2020 regional election. And on the basis of that, we have done an audit of the non-cestive materials we have in our local government and state offices. We are already engaged in procurement relating to the 2020 regional election. So we are already planning, but as an electoral management body that also looks ahead, we are part of the processes and procedures that gave birth to the bill that is before the president. So on the basis of what we know and on the basis of some of the provisions in that particular bill, we are also planning in anticipation that the president may likely sign the bill and it may become law. So we do not want a situation where anything will take us by surprise. So based on that, we are also anticipating that the bill may likely be signed and we are also planning. But if the bill is not signed, we also have things in place to enable us to continue with electoral process in the absence of an electoral problem. Why are people speculating that INEC may postpone the elections? Because I have seen a lot of reactions trading that. I've seen a former vice president of the NBA, Mondio Banni, talking about the fact that INEC should not think of postponing the elections. I'd like to quote what he said. He said, the act is outdated and he said that postponing the elections is not a good idea. In fact, he also said that it might create crisis. It's on our screen in his words. It will be very disastrous if the elections are postponed because our constitution has a tenor of four years for every elective office. So it will be improper to elongate the tenure of any officer. Therefore, the president must not create a crisis for the country unless he has an agenda he's pursuing. He says, I agree with INEC on the non-walkability of the 2010 electoral act. He says, which is outdated? Care to comment? Yes, there is a difference between postponing an election and adjusting the date meant for a particular election. The commission, as a commission, does not have the constitutional and legal virus to postpone the 2023 election. This is because section 132, subsection 2 and section 170, subsection 2 of the constitution have already pigeonholed the period within which the country must conduct the election. Going by that particular provision, the independent national electoral commission is not permitted to conduct the election. Earlier than 30th day of December 2022 and not later than 29th day of April 2023. So this particular period is immovable. This particular period is cast in stone and nobody can change it. So nobody can postpone any election in Nigeria beyond the 29th day of April. There are only two possibilities in which anybody can postpone an election. Under section 135, subsection, under section 134 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the president acting in concerns with the National Assembly can postpone an election if the country is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is fiscally attacked. The second relates to section 305 of the constitution when the president can declare a state of emergency. Other than that, nobody has the constitutional right to postpone the 2023 election beyond 29th of April 2023. But the commission is giving the power to appoint a date for the holding of the election within this particular constitutional window. In other words, the commission can fix any election from the 30th of December up to the 29th of April 2023. So that is our right. Under section 132, subsection 1 of the constitution and under section 178, subsection 1 of the constitution. So we can adjust the date for the holding of the election but we cannot postpone any election because when a constitution makes a law and imputes a date within the constitutional framework, even a court of law cannot extend or adjust that particular date. That date is across and that date is cast in stone. So nobody can, we don't have the right to postpone any election. So in order to calm frayed nerves, what's the message of INEC to every person who's out there agitating or agitated that INEC might want to tamper with the dates? Now you've told us that you might just adjust it and not necessarily postpone the election. But any final words before we wrap this up? The Independent National Electoral Commission has already fixed February 18, 2023, as they did for the presidential election. And there is nothing that has happened to make us change that particular date. We are preparing and we are preparing well. We know the responsibilities entrusted on this particular commission and we are not going to disappoint the Nigerian people who will continue to prepare for this election. Even if we have a new electoral legal framework that will add to the credibility of the election, that will give us more firepower to prepare and prepare well. If we don't have a new electoral legal framework, we will still give Nigerians a very good election based on the existing electoral legal framework. Well, Mr Corrie, thank you so much. He is the commissioner for information and voter education with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Thank you so much for speaking with us all with the pleasure. I appreciate this opportunity. All right. Well, thank you all for staying with us as we round up the show today. Nigerians are bearing their minds on whether or not the president should sign the Reward Electoral Amendment Bill. Take a listen. I am Mary Annacol. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening. See, that thing is impossible. Yes, it cannot work because there are some reasons why it cannot work because we are on a system whereby it is one party system now that is ruling this country. It is one party system whereby the House of Reps is APC. The red chamber, which is the Senate, is also APC. And see, the president, as I speak to you, the presidency control the legislative, which is not like that. The arm of the legislative, they have the power to impeach the presidency, but we are dealing on one party system. Like, I am saying that, sending it to the House, you said, if that makes it okay, that makes it possible for us to get it right at this point in time. I think, why not? It should. I don't think it's going to sign it because, based on its artistic sense, it's not going to sign it. This behaviour and its body language is showing that it's not going to sign it. It's not going to sign it. Well, I may not be assertive with that answer. It goes both ways. We should ask the reason why he is refusing his assent into the electoral law. The first time he did refuse his assent was because he said the first, what was his reason? First, he said the amount for, what do you call it, direct primaries was two boogers. This time around, I believe he may have his reasons for signing or for not signing.