By Gabriel Ameh, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has rejected N40 billion earmarked for it as 2025 budget estimates but tacitly got approval for the N126 billion it proposed to the National Assembly through its joint Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters.
Rejection of the N40 billion yearly budget envelope for the electoral body was made by its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu to the Joint Committee on Friday during the budget defence session.
INEC boss in his presentation before the Joint Committee chaired by Senator Sarafadeen Alli (APC Oyo South), informed that the elections in Nigeria have become a huge burden requiring adequate funding.
He maintained that the N40 billion budget envelope given to the Commission for 2025, will not cover 1/3 of projected expenses which totals over N126 billion.
Prof. Yakubu added that the inadequacy of the N40 billion budget envelope made the electoral body to get intervention funds of N10.5 billion for Edo and Ondo elections in 2024 and another N500 million for bye–elections on affected constituencies in 2024.
According to him, the Commission would like the support of the National Assembly to enable them to achieve its responsibilities in the first line charge and most of these responsibilities are constitutional.
“Our proposal for the 2025 budget, the provision requires the sum of over N126 billion. We have the document that has provided details line by line on how we intended to spend the 126 billion.
”Aside from the off-cycle elections for 21 constituencies to be filled through bye – elections and the Anambra Governorship election this year, personnel cost alone on account of new minimum wage, will eat up the N40 billion budgetary envelope”, he said.
Apparently convinced by the proposal of INEC, members of the Joint Committee, one after the other assured the electoral body that the proposed sum, shall be appropriated for in the 2025 fiscal election.
Senator Ireti Kingibe ( LP FCT) said, ‘‘the situation at hand is not about looking for the N126 billion for INEC in the 2025 fiscal year but providing it’’.
The Joint Committee went into closed door session with the INEC Chairman and Federal Commissioners on how to source for the fund and appropriate it in the 2025 budget.
