The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns that there is no funding for the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, stating that the electoral body was yet to receive funds for these exercises.
Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu stated this on Thursday during an interactive session with the Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters on preparations ahead of the Ondo and Edo States governorship elections
The Chairman of the electoral empire also clarified that the 2024 statutory budget of N40 billion allocated to INEC is not for elections, but for the Commission’s general operations, which included managing a workforce of over 15,000 staff across 774 Local Government Areas.
Professor Mahmood also announced that each political party fielding a candidate in the two off-cycle elections will receive the complete register of voters, broken down by polling unit, ward, and local government, 30 days before the election.
The Commission’s chairman noted that conducting off-cycle elections is more challenging than general elections due to the intense political activities, including campaigns and support from Governors and National Assembly members, which can make management and accommodation difficult.
He shared a personal experience of being stranded in Osun during the signing of a peace accord due to politicians booking all available hotels.
The Chairman also highlighted the misuse of incumbency power, which violates the provisions of the Electoral Act, prohibiting its use to advantage of any political party.
INEC said it has approved 134 Observers for the Edo State governorship election, comprising 124 local observers and 10 international observers.
For the September 21, 2024, Edo Governorship poll and the November 16, 2024, Ondo Governorship election, the INEC boss urged Nigerians to appreciate the tremendous technological improvements of the Commission.
He stressed that the database of INEC according to him remains the best and most secured in Africa which has about 90 million registered voters with face and fingerprints.
He also stated that the INEC is building on its working relationship with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC) to scale up its operations.
Mahmood appealed to the lawmakers to grant accelerated passage to the Electoral Offenders Bill under the current Assembly to empower the Commission with the capacity and resources to effect arrests, thoroughly investigate electoral offenses and mitigate electoral malfeasance
On the proposal that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be allowed to conduct Local Council elections in the country, Prof. Yakubu declared national electrical body is ready to handle the exercise in all the 774 areas of the country if empowered with the constitutional responsibility.
INEC’s position comes two weeks after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to Local Government authorities in Nigeria.
According to the INEC Chairman, it is up to the legislators to amend the law to transfer the responsibility to INEC to begin the conduct of Local Government Elections
Mahmood explained that the Commission, currently conducts hitch-free elections in the 62 wards in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils in addition to National and State Government positions
The INEC chairman highlighted the stability of tenure in the FCT Area Councils, noting that no Caretaker Committees have been appointed, and no single political party has won all constituencies.
He reported that out of the six Area Council chairmen in the FCT, three are from the APC and three from the PDP, while in the Councillorship elections, APC has 19 seats and PDP has 43 out of 62 seats.
Editor: Ken Eseni
