New 2019 presidential election date Feb. 23 is sacrosanct - INEC

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Yakubu Mahmood has assured Nigerians that the 2019 general elections will not be postponed a second time.

Mahmood said this at a meeting with stakeholders while explaining why the Commission postponed the general elections by one week from Saturday, February 16 to Saturday, February 23.

At the meeting which was held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Mahmood assured that everything will go as planned next week.

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"Without equivocation, 2019 presidential election rescheduled to February 23, is sacrosanct," Mahmood said.

However, INEC says the ban on campaigns by political parties which was imposed at midnight on Thursday, February 14 remains in place till the new date of the elections.

"Campaigns will remain closed till the next new date for the elections," Mahmood said.

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Mahmood doused fears of the Commission running out of funds as a result of costs incurred following the rescheduling of the elections.

While answering question on funds already expended and availability of funds for the already rescheduled election, Mahmood replied: "We are not complaining".

The INEC chairman also apologized to Nigerians and political parties in his speech at the beginning of the event.

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Responding to Oshiomhole's question "Why did the commission have to wait till 3am to announce a postponement?", Mahmood said as at 2am, the Commission was confident that the elections would hold as planned but things did not work out.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported earlier that the presidency has denied that President Muhammadu Buhari had any prior knowledge of the postponement of the 2019 general elections by the INEC.

The presidency made the denial through Buhari's media aide Garba Shehu just before he departed his home in Daura, Katsina state for the seat of power Abuja.

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Nigerians express total disappointment with INEC over election postponement - on Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng