UPDATED: INEC Postpones Senatorial Election In…|Eagle’s Sight News

The election, like other senatorial elections, was scheduled to hold tomorrow, 25 February.

The Enugu East Senatorial District Election has been rescheduled to hold on 11 March alongside the Governorship and States Houses of Assembly elections, the electoral commission, INEC, has said.

The election, like other senatorial elections, was scheduled to hold tomorrow, 25 February.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, announced the postponement at a briefing in Abuja on Friday.

The postponement is due to the killing of the senatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Oyibo Chukwu, on Wednesday, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Chukwu was killed on Wednesday evening alongside five supporters who were inside his vehicle.

Mr Yakubu said the campaign in the senatorial district can continue until 24 hours before the elections which are now to hold on 11 March.

“Therefore, there will be no senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District made up of six Local Government Areas, 77 Wards and 1,630 Polling Units,” he said.

“The election will now be combined with the Governorship and State Assembly elections holding in the next two weeks on 11th March 2023. Materials already delivered for the senatorial election will remain in the custody of the Central Bank in the State until the new date for election.”

Mr Yakubu said the campaign for the senatorial district can continue until 24 hours before the new date for the elections.

He said the Labour Party has formally intimated the commission of the demise of its candidate as stipulated by law.

“The party also conveyed its intention to participate in the election for that constituency by replacing its deceased candidate,” he said.

“I expect the party to conduct primaries as early as next week,” he added.

“This request is in line with the provision of the law. For clarity, I wish to quote verbatim the provision of Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“If, after the time for the delivery of nomination paper and before the commencement of the poll, a nominated candidate dies, the Chief National Electoral Commissioner shall being satisfied with the fact of the death, countermand the poll in which the deceased candidate was to participate and the Commission shall appoint some other convenient date for the election within 14 days.”