The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission -INEC, Mahmood Yakubu has appeared before the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committees to defend the proposed supplementary budget of N18 billion.
Yakubu explained that N10.6 billion out of the sum would enable the Commission to pay its staff the 40% increase in Peculiar Allowance earlier approved by the Federal Government in April 2023. The INEC chairman said that over N3 billion is meant to pay INEC Staff the award of N35,000 approved for each Public Servant across Nigeria for six months by the Federal Government, as well as the new Duty Tour Allowance.
He said the Commission will spend N1.6 billion on the conduct of eleven outstanding bye-elections, comprising five federal Constituencies, four State Constituencies and two Senatorial Districts. Another N1.4 billion is for the augmentation of the cost differentials in the budget for the Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi governorship elections, according to Yakubu.
Yakubu, during his presentation, also told the House of Representatives that the commission has a total of 16,614 staff. According to reports, INEC is set to conduct the three off-season governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa on Saturday, November 11, 2023.