INEC presented a budget of N305 billion for the 2023 general elections to the National Assembly on Monday in Abuja.
Its president, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The committee had invited INEC to present the budget to include it in the 2022 budget billed for approval by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
According to the president of INEC, the 305 billion naira is different from the 40 billion naira annual budget of the electoral body.
He noted that while the Commission had been released 100 billion naira of the total projected spending, it would not be sufficient for adequate preparation by 2023.
“The Commission made a presentation through the Executive being part of the Executive Body.
“We did a N305 billion presentation for the 2023 general election in a very comprehensive 22-page document with 260 budget lines.
“Upon presenting the Executive’s proposal to the National Assembly, 140 million naira was made available to INEC as a single line item in the budget.
“As usual, we break it down and present it to the committee that oversees INEC in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“The 140 billion naira was divided in two; We assume that N40 billion is our regular budget as a government agency and N100 billion is the first tranche of the 2022 budget.
“We have gone ahead to make the necessary arrangements.
“The annual budgets of N40 billion include spending for elections particularly out of season.
“It may interest the committee to know that we have eight by-elections pending; three federal constituencies and five state constituencies.
“In fact, the latest vacancy occurred last Wednesday after the death of a member representing Jiwa West in Kaduna state,” he said.
Defending the additional releases of the 205 billion naira balance, Professor Yakubu listed the activities that must be carried out before the 2023 general election.
“What we have done is look at the activities that we have to carry out before the general elections.
“There are activities that must be concluded. If you are replacing some of the critical facilities like the ballot boxes and voting booths, these things need to be done before the election.
“Party primaries must be held and concluded before the elections and the names of the candidates must be submitted, voter registration must be concluded before the elections.
“The printing of permanent voter cards should be completed before the elections and some of the critical electoral technology must be completed and acquired before the elections,” Yakubu said.
In his remarks, committee chair Senator Jibrin Barau (APC-Kano North) said that the required allocation would be made for the electoral body in the 2022 budget.
Barau assured that the report of the commission on the 2022 budget proposals will be presented in the plenary of both chambers on Tuesday, considered and approved.
