2019: How constituency projects affected INEC’s N189bn budget

Facts have emerged on the real reason the National Assembly joint committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, rejected the N189billion 2019 general elections budget, and in its place settled for N143billion.
The joint committee co-chaired by Senator Suleiman Nazif ( PDP Bauchi North), and Hon Aisha Dukku (APC Gombe), brainstormed and interfaced with the INEC management team and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma on the desirability or otherwise of the N189billion budget.
President Muhammadu Buhari, had before the National Assembly proceeded on its ongoing recess, forwarded to the lawmakers a N242billion budget estimates from INEC and other security agencies for the conduct of the elections.
He made the proposal in a letter separately addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, seeking virement and supplementary budget.
“As you are aware, the 2019 general election is scheduled to be conducted early in 2019.
To ensure that adequate arrangements are made for free and fair elections, it has become necessary to appropriate funds to enable the relevant agencies to commence preparations.
“INEC and the security agencies have accordingly recently submitted their requests.
These have been subjected to usual budget evaluation.
The aggregate cost of the elections is estimated at N242, 445, 322, 600,” Buhari had said in the letter dated July 11.
Of the sum, INEC is to get N189billion, out of which the president requested that the sum of N143billion be approved for the commission this year, while the balance will be accommodated in the 2019 budget.
But the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and other top officials at two different sessions penultimate week, elaborately explained and pleaded that the entire N189billion budget should be considered and approved, for proper planning and smooth conduct of the exercise.
The commission made the plea while appearing before the committee penultimate week, when the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Olusola Adeyeye pointedly asked the INEC boss whether the commission could cope with the N143billion requested by President Buhari this year.
And in his response, the INEC boss said “approval for the N189billion elections budget is our preference.” Also, the minister, Senator Udoma, in a remark before the committee said, “the executive will be grateful if the entire N189billion INEC budget for 2019 general elections is approved at once, provided it doesn’t affect the overall size of the N9.2 trillion 2018 budget.” Though, after Yakubu and Udoma’s submissions, some committee members quickly bought into the idea.
Reality of sourcing for fund However, when the reality of where to draw the balance of N45.6 billion dawned on them, the members had a change of mind.
Confirming the development, a member of the committee who vociferously pushed for adoption of the N189billion budget during the interactive sessions with INEC officials, told Blueprint yesterday that opponents of the N189billion defeated them at closed door session when question of where to draw the balance of N45.6 billion came up.
According to the lawmaker who craved anonymity, those against the N189billion INEC budget said, since the President is planning to deplete the N578billion votes the federal lawmakers earmarked for the 1,403 additional projects to N350 billion via the N228 billion virement, they won’t allow for further depletion of the special votes.
“Rejection of the N189billion INEC budget for 2019 elections by NASS joint committee for the N143billion requested for by President Buhari this year, is all about where to source the balance of N45.6billion from and not any other reason.
“My colleagues are not in any way disposed to a situation where the money would have to be vired from the special votes again.
More so, according to them, since President Buhari in his letter of request, promised to make provision for N45.6billion elections budget balance in 2019 budget,” our source said.
The lawmaker further added that the inability of the federal lawmakers to give room for additional virement from the special votes “has to do with the fact that the votes are already shared amongst themselves through the N1, 403 projects added into the N9.12trillion 2018 budget.