According to Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the next elections would proceed as scheduled.
Yakubu spoke after President Muhammadu Buhari presided over a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The INEC chairman’s declaration comes at a time when Nigerians across the country are struggling to obtain gasoline and new naira notes.
Concerns have been voiced regarding the situation’s potential impact on the upcoming presidential and governorship elections, scheduled for February 25 and March 11, respectively.
Yakubu stated that the purpose of the FEC’s meeting with the council was to provide an update on the commission’s preparation to conduct the elections.
According to him, members of the council were briefed on all election preparations and how obstacles are being addressed.
“I can briefly describe two of these obstacles. The availability of petroleum products is the first. This issue was discussed during a meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, he explained.
“Immediately following that meeting, we communicated with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), and a technical community is currently at work.
“The plan is for them to provide us with access to their more than 900 land mega stations as well as their floating mega stations nationwide for the purpose of stocking products so that the movement of persons and materials for the polls is not impeded.
“The second problem is with the currency. Again, we had a meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria yesterday. In this regard, he assured us that the commission will not be burdened. Fortunately, all of our national and state accounts are with the top bank.
“Therefore, we raised these difficulties and found a solution for them.
“Therefore, rest confident that the national and state elections will take place as scheduled on February 25 and March 11, respectively.”
