The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has rejected N40b allocation earmarked for it in 2025 budget estimates.
This was made known to the public during the budget defense session by the INEC Chairman to the National Assembly through its joint committee on INEC and Electoral Matters.
During his presentation before the joint committee chaired by Senator Sarafadeen Alli (APC Oyo South), Professor Mahmood said elections in Nigeria have become huge burden which requires adequate funding to execute
“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.
“We would like the support of the National Assembly to enable us to achieve our responsibilities in the first line charge and most of these responsibilities are constitutional.
“In a nutshell, the N40billion budget envelope given us for 2025 will not cover 1/3 of projected expenses which totally amounts to over N126billion.
“Aside 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 the new minimum wage will eat up the N40billion budgetary envelope”, he said.
The inadequacy of the N40billion budget envelope for 2024 made the electoral body to get intervention funds of over N10billion for the conduction of election in Edo and Ondo in 2024 and another N500million for the conduction of bye-elections on some affected constituencies in 2024, he added.
The chairman of the joint committee on INEC and Electoral matters Senator Sarafadeen Alli and the members have assured the electoral body that the proposed sum shall be appropriated for in the 2025 budget.
Specifically, Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP FCT) said “the situation at hand is not about looking for the N126billion for INEC in 2025 fiscal year but providing it”
However, the joint committee, the INEC Chairman and all the Federal Commissioners thereafter went into closed door meeting to deliberate on how to source for the fund and appropriate it in the 2025 budget
