Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakub, on Friday gave details of how the non-provision of funds in the 2024 Appropriation Act stalled the planned voter registration as well as other by-elections.
Professor Yakub gave the details in Abuja during the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters on the 2024 budget defence and 2025 budget proposal for the Commission.
Responding to a question on the rationale behind the zero budgetary allocation for overhead costs in 2024, Professor Yakub disclosed: “How have we managed or how have we survived? There are three ways to survive under these peculiar circumstances.
“The first way is to halt some of the critical activities that are not funded. And therefore, much as the Commission had wanted, we could not commence the voter registration in 2024 because there’s no provision in the budget.
“We also wanted to commence the voter redistribution to polling units after the successful migration of voters. After the successful expansion of voters’ access to polling units before the 2023 general elections, we couldn’t do this.
“So, we halted some of the activities, including some of the travels that you mentioned because it’s airborne.
“This budget covers not just INEC in Abuja but also all our 37 offices nationwide and the 774 Local Government offices. In some of them, there are actually line activities.
“Now, the second way to survive is to approach the National Assembly, and you would recall the last time we approached you. We told you what this N40 billion simply can do; what we needed is N80 billion. And I’m sure you made your best effort to ensure that we had the required resources, but unfortunately, we did not.
“The third approach is for us to liaise with the Executive and tell them the reality. And I want to inform you that we did. As a result of this, approval was given, and an additional fund of N10.5 billion was granted to the Commission, mainly to cover the Edo and Ondo governorship elections because the N40 billion did not cover the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
“So, some of the overhead that we were able to manage came from the activities during the election, but this is what has happened because in the absence of provision from the statutory budget, what could you do?
“Remember, without conducting the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, we would have ended up with a constitutional crisis in the two states because the elections would have to be conducted, by law, no later than 30 days to the end of the tenure of the incumbent holder.
“So, we approached the Executive, and provision was made.
“Now, the same provision also had a little over N500 million for five by-elections, including some elections to replace some of your colleagues in the House of Representatives.
“You may recall that vacancies were declared in July for a Federal Constituency in Jigawa State, the Constituency represented by Hon. Dogoyaro, but the amount appropriated – N500 million – could not confirm the five by-elections. And I want to tell you that as we speak today, the number of by-elections has increased to 12. We have 12 by-elections.
“As for the by-elections that we are supposed to conduct, they are as follows: Adamawa State Constituency of Adamawa State, the reason for the by-elections is the death of an Honourable member.
“Jigawa House of Representatives. Kaduna – Kaduna State, where a State Assembly member in Zaria Constituency resigned to accept an executive appointment in the Federal Capital Territory.
“Again in Zaria for Basawa State Constituency, the honourable member resigned to become the Chairman of his Local Government, so it has created a vacancy that we have to fill. In Kano, there is a vacancy caused by death.
“Then Oyo, one of your colleagues in the House of Representatives, Ibadan North Federal Constituency, then Rivers State Assembly – Kanna 2 State Constituency, it’s different from what is happening in Rivers State right now. That honourable member passed on for Kanna 2 State Constituency, is pending.
“Edo, we have one Senatorial seat – Edo Central caused by resignation, the former holder of the office is now Governor of Edo State.
“Then in the same Edo again, one of your colleagues in the House of Representatives, for Ovia South West and Ovia South East Federal Constituency, he resigned and is currently the Deputy Governor. Anambra – Anambra South Senatorial District, is pending because of death, and then Niger State – Marida State Constituency is a State Assembly seat, the honourable member passed on. So these are the 11 Constituencies pending.”
He recalled that in February last year (2024), INEC conducted nine by-elections.
“And they are in Benue, where the lawmaker resigned as a member of the Benue State Assembly to become a Commissioner. Then Borno State Assembly – Chibok caused by death. Ebonyi North Senatorial District, the distinguished Senator resigned to become a Minister of the Federal Republic, we conducted a by-election. Kaduna State – a member passed on, we conducted a by-election. Kebbi – House of Representatives, where one of your colleagues representing Yauri/Shanga/Gaski resigned to become a Minister.
“Then we have Lagos – House of Representatives, Surulere Federal Constituency 1 – the Chief of Staff. We have Ondo House of Representatives – Akoko North/Akoko South, he also resigned to become a Minister. Then in Taraba State – Jalingo Federal Constituency – the honourable member passed on.
Then Yobe Senatorial District, a distinguished Senator also resigned to become a Minister of the Federal Republic.
So we have so far conducted nine, but we still have 11 by-elections pending. This brings the total number of by-elections in the last one and a half years to 21. 21 by-elections in the last one and a half years. In Ghana, in four years, they only conducted three by-elections, but in Nigeria, vacancies have now been declared for 21 Constituencies in just one and a half years.
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