The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it
will use N1.4 billion to purchase ballot boxes to be used during the
2019 general election.
Mahmoud Yakubu, chairman of INEC,
made this known on Monday while appearing before the house of
representatives committee on electoral matters and political parties
affairs.
He said INEC would replace the transparent ballot boxes with plastic ones.
Yakubu
said the commission faced the challenge of local manufacturers being
unable to deliver the number of boxes within the required stipulated
time.
“Sometimes it is easier said that we have manufacturers who
have the capacity but when you engage them you realise that we may not
have such capacity for volumes and this not only peculiar to elections,”
he said.
“So while it is important for us to encourage our
domestic producers, we are also careful about that particularly because
some of the procurement items are time bound.”
The INEC boss said the commission was working to come up with a specific amount that would be expended on the 2019 election.
“I
think it is better for us to do the proper thing so that we approach
the executive and the national assembly with a figure we can vouch for
and once it is approved we don’t come back towards the election with
another supplementary figure,” he said.
He added that they were working hard to ensure smooth election takes place in 2019.
Aishatu
Dukku, chairperson of the committee, advocated that the electoral
reform measures should be reflected in the 2017 INEC budget.
“The
identification and adoption of best practices in electoral framework and
administration among nations have resulted in placing countries under
pressure to introduce electoral reform measures,” she said.
“I am
strongly advocating that this electoral reform measures will form part
of the budget of INEC. It is important that the budget of INEC be made
to show widespread public accountability and transparency of the
commission.”
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