BEVERLY HILLS, August 17, (THEWILL) – The 2019 election budgetary request of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suffered another delay following Thursday’s deadlock in the meeting between the members of the Senate Committee on INEC and their counterpart in the House of Representatives.
Members of the committee bickered and could not agree on the figure to work with because INEC through its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu requested N189 billion while President Muhammadu Buhari requested N143 billion for the agency to conduct elections next year.
Following the stalemate, the joint committee resolve to summon the INEC chairman again.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), told journalists thus at the end of the session.
“As we are all aware, Wednesday, we invited the chairman of INEC, who was in the National Assembly to address the House of Representatives as well as the Senate. And today, our duty and responsibility was to try to harmonise what transpired between both houses and ensure that we cross the t’s and dot the i’s.
“The whole meeting was called consequent upon the letter of Mr President requesting supplementary and virement for the general elections of 2019.
“We have done what we needed to have done. And we have realised that there are a little bit of differences. In view of that, it is the opinion of members of this joint committee that we invite the chairman of INEC for further clarifications tomorrow at11am.
“From there, this committee will make a press statement and we will inform Nigerians of our position. I want to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that this joint committee is committed to ensuring credible, free and fair elections for 2019.”
