National Assembly Panel Asks INEC To Re-Present N143b Budget

The Independent National Electoral Commission has been asked to present a fresh N143 billion budget for consideration for the 2019 election.

The Eagle Online report says the request was made by the National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC on Monday,

The new request for a N143 billion is against the N189 billion presented to the National Assembly by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The N143 billion was the figure contained in the supplementary budget presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had requested for the virement of N143 billion from the 2018 budget for INEC and informed the lawmakers that the remaining N46 billion for the elections will come with 2019 budget.

But Yakubu presented a budget of N189 billion to the joint committee for consideration, a development which led to division among the lawmakers.

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Briefing newsmen on Monday, the Chairman of the Joint Panel, Senator Suleiman Nazif, asked INEC to appear before the panel with the budget of N143 billion presented by the President.

Nazif explained that after wide consultations, the Committee adopted the N143 billion elections budget presented by President Buhari for consideration.

According to him: “The joint committee has sat and deliberated and agreed to adopt N143 billion presented by Mr. President, therefore INEC has the opportunity to prioritise and we are ready to receive the budget by tomorrow.”