Senate To Pass 2022 Budget Tuesday, As INEC Proposes N305bn For 2023 Polls

The Senate Committee on Appropriations has said that the 2022 budget will be presented and considered on Tuesday.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano), disclosed this while briefing newsmen after a meeting with the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

The INEC boss and his team were at the Senate on the invitation of the committee to get the commission’s needs for the general elections included in the 2022 Appropriation bill.

Jibrin said, “The presentation and consideration (of 2022 budget) will be tomorrow. We have been waiting for them (INEC) and they have given the detailed information of what they need.

“We are proceeding to put together our report for onward submission to the plenary tomorrow (Tuesday).

“We are presenting it tomorrow and it is going to be considered tomorrow as well by the Grace of God.”

Earlier during a session with the Senate committee, Yakubu told the lawmakers that INEC would need N305 billion for the conduct of 2023 general elections as well as off-circle elections scheduled for 2022.

Yakubu noted that the 2022 Appropriation bill had made provision for the sum of N140 billion of which N40 billion is for regular budget of the commission while the remaining N100 billion is for the preparation of the 2023 general elections.

He, however, said the N100 billion earmarked in the Appropriation bill was grossly inadequate, hence the need for additional N205 billion.

Justifying the increase, the INEC boss said the commission has eight bye elections pending, including Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.

He also disclosed that there are some activities that must be concluded before the elections, such as voter registration, printing of ballot papers and other sensitive materials, provision for logistics, payment of adhoc staff and cost of litigation.