The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),says the N100 billion earmarked for the conduct of 2023 general elections in the 2022 budget estimates was grossly inadequate.
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu,gave the indication when be appeared before the Senate Committee on INEC to defend the commission’s 2022 budget estimates
He said while N189bn was appropriated for the 2019 General Elections, that of the 2023 could not be N100bn only.
According to him, while the N100 billion was the first tranche for the 2023 general elections, the N40 billion was the annual budgetary allocation of the commission.
He disclosed that the commission was already liaising with the Federal Ministry of Finance on the additional requirements for the 2023 general elections.
“Either we come to the National Assembly to defend the budget before the committee or we would do what we did in 2019 when the executive just submitted the proposal to the National Assembly and we came to defend it,” he said.
He added that the commission would need more money because it has expanded its polling units and is also introducing new technology for elections among many other new innovations.
“The number of registered voters will increase beyond the 84 million for the 2019 general elections,” he said.
On the breakdown of the proposed expenditure for upcoming elections, Prof. Yakubu said that N7.3 billion is budgeted for the procurement of none sensitive materials and logistics.
According to him, “we also budgeted N7 billion for the conduct of Ekiti and Osun governorship election including the possibility of runoffs.
“We made a provision of N2.6 billion for Ekiti State with a population of over one million registered voters and N4.4 billion for Osun with 30 local government areas.
“We are earmarking N4.2 billion for the continuous registration exercise in 2,700 centres and N619 million for monitoring of party congresses and campaign activities.
“I am not sure it would be adequate. We are monitoring party congresses and primaries right from the ward levels by direct means. We have 8,809 wards and 18 political parties. We have types of elections. Presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives, and States constituency primaries. If they would be done by direct means, we have to make preparations for it.
“We have 993 state constituencies. So, if parties are going to nominate their candidates we are going to monitor in all the locations — 109 senatorial districts, 360 House of Representatives and 28 governorship elections because eight are being conducted off season. We will monitor party primaries for the nomination of candidates in over 1, 400 constituencies so the cost would be enormous”
