INEC Fails To Appear For Budget Defence

By Oduyeme Odumade

The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has expressed displeasure over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to appear before it to defend its 2024 budget proposal.

The Chairman of the committee, Adebayo Balogun said that the commission did not communicate its inability to appear for the budget defence to them.

“It’s unfortunate that INEC is not here and that is not a good way to start a new administration, especially not when the President gave a matching order that he wants to maintain the January to December budget circle. I don’t know what has caused their inability to be here. I have personally been working to ensure the integrity of INEC which was battered during the last election is restored. This committee is working on reforms that will restore the credibility of the Commission.

“I want to believe that there will be a genuine reason for their inability to appear before the committee to defend their budget”.

“I learnt that the envelope they were given came to them as a shock because they were given less than what they got last year and that is the more reason why they should have been here,” Balogun said.

The Committee thereafter went into an executive session to decide the next line of action.

Edited By Grace Namiji