Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed that the electoral umpire was yet to determine the cost of the 2023 general elections.
“Once the budget is finalised you will hear,” Mahmood told journalists Thursday in Abuja while responding to questions after a closed door meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.
Also on the possible cost of direct and indirect primaries, Yakubu said the commission “did not come up with any cost for the conduct of primaries per political parties by direct method. We have had very good discussions with the Committee on Appropriation of the National Assembly pursuant to the resolution of the House and what we discussed you will not hear from me. Maybe, the chairman of the committee will tell you.”
The commission also refused to reveal the content of his letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari had written the INEC chairman for his comment on the controversial Electoral ACT Amendment Bill awaiting his assent.
“A letter was submitted to the President. I can’t divulge what I told the President,” he said.
Reps speak on meeting
Addressing journalists on their discussion with the INEC boss, Chairman House Committee on Appropriation Mukhtar Batera said: “In our discussions with the INEC chairman, we wanted to know his requirements for the 2023 elections as well as cost of direct or indirect primaries. On the primaries, when we discussed with him, he specifically told us the role of INEC in direct or indirect primaries which he said is just minimal.
“He said the responsibility lies with all the political parties. He said party primaries is the role of political parties and not INEC. For direct primaries, what the INEC Chairman told us is that only the political parties have the responsibility on primaries and the funding of the primaries.”
Buhari’s assent to Electoral Bill
In a related development, the lawmakers have denied reports that President Buhari may have written the National Assembly, expressing rejection of the Electoral Act amendment Bill, transmitted to him for assent.
Spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu disclosed this Thursday while speaking to journalists in Abuja.
He said the rumoured rejection of the Electoral Act Bill was a strategy by those opposed to the provisions to weaken the hearts pushing for presidential assent to the bill.
“If Mr. President sent a communication to the House of Representatives, as the spokesman, I am one the first persons to know about it. I can tell you authoritatively that there is no communication to that effect,” the lawmaker said.
