The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has
justified how the N18 billion in the 2023 supplementary budget will be
expended.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke on
Wednesday while briefing the House of Representatives Committee on
Appropriations on the commission’s budget, stated that the N18 billion is not
solely for the conduct of the three off-cycle elections.
Recall the electoral body is set to conduct off-cycle
elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States and bye-elections in some states of
the Federation.
According to Yakubu, the expenditure for the three off-cycle
elections and bye-elections has been captured in the supplementary budget.
The INEC chairman added that part of the N18 billion in the
budget is for payment of staff salaries and allowances.
He said, “You will recall that in April this year, there was
a 40 percent increase in peculiar allowance of civil servants.
“It was not provided in our 2023 budget because the budget
was passed in December last year.
“At the same time, there is another circular from the
government dated February, where the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and other
consequential allowances were increased by the government. There is no
provision in our statutory budget.
“We have over 15,000 staff, and it is not easy to find the
money to pay without a supplementary budget. So, we made a case to the
government, and we have been included.
“For the 16,614 staff of INEC, it is N10.6 billion, and we
have made provision for that.”
Yakubu further said the electoral commission was not able to
conduct some bye-elections because there was no budgetary provision for it.
He said there are 11 vacancies, seven in the national
assembly and four state assemblies, that INEC has to conduct by-elections to
fill, and there is no money to conduct the elections.
The INEC chairman said he hopes that there will be no
by-election again so that the commission can focus on the ones budgeted for.
He said, “Many honourable members have asked us: ‘In the
House of Representatives, vacancies have been declared. Why has INEC not
conducted by-elections?’ There are no budgetary provisions for the conduct of
these unforeseen and unbudgeted by-elections.
“Not many people in Nigeria will believe that within four
months after the inauguration of the national and state assemblies, 11
vacancies have occurred. Eleven bye-elections in four months. Unfortunately,
the majority coming from the House of Representatives,” he said.
“There are five vacancies in the House of Representatives.
Two were caused by death, and three were caused by the resignation of
honourable members.
“We have vacancies in four state constituencies across the
country, and we have vacancies in two senatorial districts.
“And each time we conduct three senatorial bye-elections,
it’s like conducting a governorship election because each state in Nigeria has
only three senatorial districts.”
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