The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu says the commission will require N305 billion to conduct the 2023 general elections.
He said this during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Appropriation at the National Assembly on Monday.
The INEC boss also noted that the amount would enable the Commission to prepare for the election and purchase all the election materials needed and also cover several bye-elections across the country.
According to Yakubu, the N305 billion is different from the N40 billion yearly budget of the Commission.
He said that while the Commission has received N100 billion out of the total projected expenditure, it would not be enough for adequate preparation towards 2023.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation Senator Jibrin Barau, disclosed that the 2022 budget would be laid, debated, and passed on Tuesday, December 21.
There are also no indications that President Buhari has written and forwarded a letter to the National Assembly on his decision to give or withdraw his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The 30-day deadline stipulated by the constitution for the President to respond to the bill expired on Sunday, December 19.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly is scheduled to commence its Christmas and New Year holidays from Tuesday, December 21.
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