2019: NASS rejects INEC’s N189.2bn budget, approves N143bn

After the many controversies that dogged its budgetary proposal for the 2019 general elections, the National Assembly yesterday approved N143 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission’s operations.
The National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC reached the resolution after a week of intense deliberation on the issue, turning down the N189.2 billion request earlier tendered by the electoral body.
The approval is in tandem with the initial sum requested for the commission by President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter submitted to the lawmaking body in July.
President Buhari had, in his letter to the Senate, requested that N189.2 billion be released to INEC for its activities during next year’s general elections.
Specifically, President Buhari explained to the lawmakers that out of the N189billion so budgeted, N143billion should be appropriated for it this year through virement from the N578billion additional votes the federal lawmakers inserted into the budget, while the balance of N45.6billion would be captured for INEC in the 2019 budget.
But the commission’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, pleaded with the committee to approve the whole sum at a go to ensure a smooth operation, a request that sharply divided members.
Consequent upon the disagreement among committee members, the meeting was adjourned last week to allow for further consultations and interface with necessary stakeholders.
And with the approval, the committee has summoned the INEC chair and other top management staff, for reprioritisation of its action plans for the elections within the ambit of the approved N143billion.
The resolution Announcing the committee’s decision after about 30 minutes of executive session, the Chairman, Senator Suleiman Nazif (PDP Bauchi North) said: “My highly respected colleagues, members of the joint committee on INEC, gentlemen of the press, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the joint committee sat and has deliberated the position to adopt the N143 billion as presented by Mr.
President at this point in time.
“It is also the wish of this committee that INEC re-present their budget of N143billion as requested by Mr. President.
Therefore, INEC has an opportunity to reprioritise and this committee will be ready to receive them.
“Therefore, this committee will be reconvening tomorrow (today) by 1.00pm to consider the representation of INEC.” When he put his submission to voice votes from the members by saying “Is this the true reflection of what transpired at the executive session?” They all shouted ‘yes!’ It would be recalled that when the INEC team led by its Chairman, Professor Yakubu appeared before the committee penultimate Wednesday, he said the preference of the commission was the N189billion it budgeted for the election and not the N143billion President Buhari requested for it this year.
According him, “though Mr President’s budgetary requests for the commission for conduct of the 2019 general elections when put together, is N189billion, but INEC will be on sound financial footing if its entire budgetary proposal of N189billion is approved for it this year and not N143bn requested for in the President’s letter.” The committee was however silent on when the second tranche of N45 billion will be approved for the electoral body.
Many of the committee members who were present at yesterday’s meeting belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose position during deliberations had always been for the N143billion presidential request.
In the course of his previous appearances before the committee, Professor Yakubu had justified the increase in the budgeted sum for the 2019 polls over that of 2015 during which N120 billion was expended.
He explained that the increase in number of political parties, increase in voter population and registered voters, high cost of logistics, exchange rates, as well as increase in the number of constituencies, were responsible for the N62 billion addition in the proposed budget for 2019 election.