The Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISEC) has announced the postponement of the local government election from June 2024 to June 14, 2025.
The decision was revealed by JISEC Chairman Auwal Muhammad Harbo during a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday.
Harbo explained that the postponement was necessitated by the amendment of the 2012 Jigawa electoral law by the Jigawa State House of Assembly to align with the 2022 Electoral Act, which requires 360 days for political parties to prepare for elections.
“Higher demand of political parties to postpone the election compelled the commission to forward the request to the Jigawa State Assembly for the amendment of the 2012 Electoral Law to conform with the 2022 Electoral Act, which provides 360 days for political parties to prepare, as opposed to the initial 90 days,” Harbo stated.
The tenure of the current local government chairmen is set to expire in June 2024. The amended law allows the state government to appoint caretaker chairmen before June 2025 to manage local government affairs until the elections.
Adamu Isah Indallahi, Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, welcomed the development, noting that it would provide sufficient time for opposition parties to prepare and increase their chances of winning the elections.
