Nigeria’s presidential and national assembly elections are rescheduled on Saturday, February 23, facing one week delay from the due date, authorities confirmed.
“Following a careful review of the implementation of the logistics and operational plan, and the determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections, the commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the election as scheduled is no longer feasible,” Mahmood Yakubu chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said at a news conference early Saturday.
‘This was a difficult decision for the commission to take, but necessary for the successful delivery of elections and the consolidation of our democracy,” he added.
Meanwhile, the INEC said governor elections, state House of Assembly and district councils are on hold until March 9.
Muhammadu Buhari, 76, of the All Progressives Congress party (APC) is bidding for re-election against 71 other presidential candidates.
Atiku Abubakar, 72, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), his main challenger, is former vice president and a business tycoon.
