The Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for a virement of N143 billion from the 2018 Budget for INEC.
The legislators took the decision at the end of an executive session which lasted about forty minutes.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting, Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Suleiman Nasif, announced the resolve of the committee to have INEC come before it and present a fresh request to that effect.
The committee expects INEC to make the presentation on Tuesday. But the commission implored the committees to approve the two sums in the 2018 budget since it is most unlikely the 2019 budget will be ready before February when elections will hold.
INEC TO REDESIGN STRUCTURES OF POLLING UNITS
The Independent National Electoral commission is set to redesign the structures of all polling units to curb vote buying during the 2019 general electioNational Commissioner, for South South, Mustapha Lecky disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Lecky asked the media to expose political parties and candidates found engaging in vote buying during the election, to enable INEC prosecute the culprits.
He said the Commission would also create additional polling units after the elections, because doing so now would be misinterpreted by politicians.
He also appealed to the National Assembly to pass the commission’s budget to enable it access funds for the conduct of the general election.
