INEC to print 187m ballot papers for 2023 presidential election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will print a total of 187million ballot papers for the 2023 presidential election.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated this on Friday in Abuja.

The commission had earlier said the preliminary registered voters in Nigeria stood at 93.5 million.

Okoye noted that 93.5 million ballot papers would be used for the presidential election on February 25, 2023, while the remaining 93.5million ballot papers would be used for the run-off in case there was no clear winner in the election.

Okoye said: “As of today, 18 political parties will participate in the 2023 general election and the law has outlined how candidates will emerge and how a presidential candidate will emerge in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: 2023: Nigerian govt deploys security operatives at INEC facilities nationwide

“Because of the limited time on the Commission and by the law; in case a candidate does not emerge from the first ballot, the Commission prints ballots for run-off election when we are printing ballots for the main election.

“If at the end of the day, there is no runoff, when election petitions are disposed of, the Commission will destroy the 93million ballots printed for the runoff. This is because the law gives the Commission just 21 days within each to engage in reverse logistics and conduct a runoff election in case there is no winner.

“Moreover, as of the time of the conduct of the presidential election, the governorship elections and State Assembly elections are still pending. So for the governorship election, the Commission will print at least run-off ballots for four governorship elections in case we have challenges in terms of a winner not emerging in the first ballot in some of the states of the federation.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now