Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President Bukola Saraki and all those eyeing the presidential seat will know their fate in a few months time.

This is as a result of the fresh timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the new timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections released by the commission on Saturday, INEC directed all parties to pick their candidates latest by June.

It also said disputes arising from political party primaries must have been resolved by June 3, 2022.

“Conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them – Monday, April 4, 2022 to Friday, June 3, 2022,” the schedule read.

“All political parties are supposed to comply with the timetable and schedule of activities released by the commission. Any political party that operates outside the timelines provided by the commission with respect to party primaries will not be expected to submit the name of their candidate(s) to the commission,” INEC ordered.

The INEC chairman also announced that the presidential and national assembly elections will hold on February 25, 2023, while governorship and state house of assembly polls will take place on March 11, 2023.

Yakubu made the announcement a day after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

Although Osinbajo and Atiku have not openly declared their presidential ambition, their body language clearly shows that they are in the race.

Earlier in the day, Atiku stormed the Abeokuta, Ogun State residence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to consult the elder statesman over his presidential ambition.

Atiku, who served as Obasanjo’s deputy between 1999 and 2007, wanted to succeed the former president, but Obasanjo worked against him.

Speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, Atiku played down age factor, saying the youths were free to contest.

Osinbajo has also stepped up his game ahead of 2023 election while Tinubu and Saraki have publicly declared their interest in succeeding Buhari and have been consulting nationwide.

Other aspirants have also thrown their hats in the ring.

(Daily Trust)

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