The National Assembly, on Thursday, approved an upward review of the budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), increasing it to N140 billion from N40 billion initially proposed by the Federal Government.
The fund is to support INEC operations for 2025 in preparations for the upcoming elections, the Anambra governorship election and ahead of the 2027 general election.
The amount approved for the commission will be received from the N54.99 trillion 2025 budget passed by the National Assembly at Thursday’s plenary session.
In the bill passed, the sum of N3,645,761,358,925 was earmarked for statutory transfers, N14,317,142,689,548 for debt servicing, N13,064,009,682,673 for recurrent expenditure while N23,963,251,624,250 is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending on the 31 December, 2025.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, while defending the 2025 budget proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, had expressed concern that the N40 billion allocated to the commission by the Federal government would not be enough to fund its activities in 2025 and begin preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Yakubu said the commission would require about N126bn to fund its activities in the year under review. However, the National Assembly approved a budget of N140 billion for the commission.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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 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.”
