N/Assembly panels conclude work on elections budget Monday

The joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives will conclude work on the proposed N189.2 billion elections budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) next Monday, Daily Trust has learnt.

The two committees on electoral matters of the two chambers could not conclude deliberations on the proposed budget due to disagreement between lawmakers of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While APC lawmakers supported the proposal by INEC for the whole N189.2bn to be approved at once, PDP lawmakers said the N143.512bn sent by President Muhammadu Buhari should first be approved to be followed by a balance of N45.7bn in next year’s budget.

Senator Suleiman Nazif Gamawa (PDP, Bauchi) said in Abuja that work on the elections budget has reached an advanced stage in line with the mandate given to them.

“Furthermore, it is imperative to state here explicitly that, after an audacious session with all critical stakeholders the joint Committee dissolved into executive structure and agreed to resume on 27th August, 2018, (after Sallah) to consider the Harmonized version of the Budget Report diligently.

“More so the report of the joint Committee will be made available for further and appropriate legislative action in earnest,” he said in a statement.