The National Assembly’s joint committees on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have failed to resolve discrepancies in the 2019 election budget.
The commission’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu was, therefore, invited to appear again today to make further clarifications.
The Senate INEC committee had on Wednesday raised the alarm over the difference between figures presented by President Muhammadu Buhari and Yakubu.
While the INEC chairman requested N189, 207,544,893.13, Buhari had on July 17, 2018, sought N143,512,529,455.00.
The incongruity prompted yesterday’s meeting, which began 3.30 p.m. but could not agree on the version to uphold.
Although the session was held behind closed doors, loud voices were heard as the lawmakers debated and shouted at one other.
Before they shut the door, Senators Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) and Muhammad Hassan (PDP, Yobe South) disagreed openly, as the former urged the committee to approve the commission’s demand.
At the end, chairman of the joint committees, Suleiman Nazif, told reporters: “Today, our duty and responsibility was to try to harmonise what transpired yesterday between both houses and ensure that we cross the t’s and dot the i’s.
“The whole meeting was called consequent upon the letter of Mr. President requesting supplementary (funds) and virement for the general elections of 2019.
“We have done what we needed and we have realised that there are little bits of differences.