INEC denies budgeting N6bn to feed Police

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday denied reports it budgeted six billion Naira to feed the Police during next year’s elections.

The 2019 general elections budget of N189.2bn is subject to approval by the National Assembly and has been pending due to ongoing recess of both legislative chambers.

But, INEC has said it does not have specific budget to feed the Police alone, instead it earmarked undisclosed amount of money for about a million people consisting its officials, security personnels and ad-hoc staff.

“INEC did not budget N6 billion to feed the Police. There is no budget head for feeding the police in the INEC Election Budget,” INEC said on its twitter handle.

“what we do have is a budget head for feeding all election personnel on election days and it covers all INEC permanent staff, ad hoc, presiding officers, supervisors, monitors, collation and returning officers and all security personnel on election duty including the Police,”

“The estimated budget for this is more than 25% less than what is being bandied around and it covers all elections including bye, re runs, run off and court ordered elections.

INEC boss Mahmood Yakubu had earlier said the budgeted N189.2bn covers all expenses and necessities to ensure a successful election.

The proposed budget for 2019 election budget has an increase of about N69 billion compared to the N120 billion 2015 election budget.

Yakubu listed increase in number of political parties, increase on voters population and registered voters, high cost of logistics, exchange rates, increase in number of constituencies as reasons for the increase.