Dogara queries FG’s emergency approach to 2019 elections

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has questioned the emergency appraoch the Federal Government is giving the 2019 general elections.

Dogara, stated this at the meeting of the leadership of the National Assembly with the Chairman if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmoof Yakubu at the National Assembly complex on Wednesday over the N242 billion budget for the elections.

There are also indications that the leadership of the Federal legislature also decided at the meeting to reconvene next week to pass the budget.

It would be recalled that the National Assembly has been under pressure to call off their recess and reconvene to be able to consider and pass the INEC budget and also attend to the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for N164 billion through virement or supplementary budget.

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Dogara, who expressed concern over the emergency approach of government, said: “As leaders of the National Assembly, we are committed to appropriating whatever is needed within the confines of the resources of the nation for INEC to be able to actualise this and that is why this meeting is important.

“However, personally, I have some questions that I intend to raise, but I will raise these in the process of discussion because it appears that we are treating this 2019 election as an emergency, which it ought not to be, so that is just my concern.”

Dogara, who acknowledged the gain of the 2015 elections, also called on the electoral body to ensure that the 2019 elections served as improvements.

“I want to reiterate that we are committed to an electoral process that will better our experiences of our 2015 general elections”, Dogara said.

In the same vein, indications emerged after the meeting that the National Assembly may reconvene next week to consider and pass the N242 billion budget for the conduct of the 2019 elections.

The INEC boss dropped the hint when he spoke with reporters after the meeting, adding that he had been assured that the lawmakers will meet and consider the budget.

“The most important thing to say is that INEC was invited to meet with National Assembly leadership on how the proposed budget for the 2019 elections can be speedily considered and appropriated by the National Assembly.

‘’We have been assured of speedy passage of the budget perhaps as early as next week. N242 billion is the total amount proposed”, Yakubu said.

 

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