The Senate on Thursday approved N189 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2019 general elections.
According to the document that conveyed the approval, N189 billion is for the election, adding the N45 billion had been approved for INEC in the 2018 budget making the total for 2018 hit N234 billion.
The Senate’s decision was sequel to the presentation by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations.
According to the report, the sum of N189 billion requested for the funding of the 2019 general election should be vired from both recurrent and special Intervention and Service Wide votes of the 2018 Appropriation Act.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate said: “You may recall that in my letter dated 11th July, 2018 I requested for the kind consideration of the National Assembly for a virement under the 2018 Appropriation Act. Part of this request was the funding of the request made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the 2019 general elections.
“In that letter, I indicated that INEC, and the Security Agencies had indicated that their total funding requirements for the 2019 elections would amount to N242 billion of that amount, I have requested that N164 Bill ion be accommodated in the 2018 budget , by way of virement within the 2018 Appropriation Act, whilst the balance of N78 billion should be considered by the National Assembly as part of the 2019 budget.
“When the Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma , appeared before the joint Committee of the National Assembly, set up to consider my request accommodating the total amount required for the finding of the 2019 elections as part of the virement of the 2018 Appropriation Act, provided there was a specific request by me.
“In the light of the current realities, and in order to ensure that the 2019 general elections are not affected by any delays in the passage into law of the 2019 budget, I accept this kind suggestion . I therefore wish to formally request that total amount of N242 billion requested by INEC and the Security Agencies, be considered for inclusion in my virement request under the 2018 Appropriation Act.”
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