What happens if Nigeria can’t hold elections in 2023 due to insecurity?
Herdsmen killed 50 people in Ebonyi. Boko Haram killed 7 soldiers. Bandits killed 60 people in the NW and NC. Unknown gunmen and the military killed at least 15 people killed. These happened in Nigeria this weekend. So, which peace is Buhari going to give to Mali? #TableShaker
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) June 1, 2021
In the first five months of 2021, Nigeria has recorded 1,016 attacks, 1,437 deaths of civilians, while 2,276 persons have been kidnapped.
In addition to all these, secessionists and criminal gangs in the southeast are constantly attacking police stations and burning down INEC offices in the region.
This has led some Nigerians to doubt if the general elections scheduled for 2023 will happen.
In an online pole by Vanguard, 23% of respondents say they don’t think the general elections should take place altogether.
Should 2023 elections hold amid the incessant attacks on INEC offices in the South?
— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) May 31, 2021
But what happens if the country can’t hold elections in 2023? The constitution said;
3) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of four years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time; but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time.
Section 135 subsection (3)
What this means is President Muhammadu Buhari can stay in office indefinitely until security improves! All he has to do is renew his mandate every six months from the Ahmed Lawan led National Assembly.
