2025 budget: INEC rejects N40b allocation, pushes for N126b
A N40 billion earmarked for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2025 budget has been rejected.
Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Commission, rejected the estimate during budget defence before a joint committee session on INEC and Electoral Matters at the National Assembly on Friday.
The INEC chairman, in his presentation before the joint committee headed by Senator Sarafadeen Alli (APC, Oyo South), lamented that elections in Nigeria had become a huge burden requiring adequate funding.
He said, “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 N126 billion.
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“We would like the support of the National to enable us to achieve our responsibilities in the first line charge, and most of these responsibilities are constitutional.
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“In a nutshell, the N40 billion budget envelope given us for 2025 will not cover 1/3 of projected expenses, which totally amounts to over N126 billion.
“Aside from 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 N40 billion budgetary envelope.”
He added that the inadequacy of the budget made the electoral body get intervention funds of N10.5 billion for the Edo and Ondo elections in 2024 and another N500 million for bye-elections in affected constituencies in 2024.
In their response, members of the joint committee, one after the other, assured the electoral body that the N126 billion proposed by the INEC chairman would be appropriated in the budget for the 2025 fiscal year.
Source: Daily Trust
