INEC expresses fear over 2019 election

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has expresses fear over the 2019 election.

He explained that he was crying out to Nigerians to urge the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the relevant legislations to enable the commission prepare for the general polls.

A statement by INEC’s Director in the Department of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, quoted the Yakubu as conveying his concern when members of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), led by its chairman Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari, visited him at the commission, in Abuja.

It was disclosed that the INEC chairman also spoke on the budget for the 2019 general election, which he said would be ready next week after the commission validates and approves its election project plan.

He said: “The validation and approval of the Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and Strategic Programme of Action will give us a clear idea of how much it will cost this nation to conduct the 2019 general election.”

Yakubu, however, commended the non-partisan nature of the NILS as an organ of the legislature as well as for its technical assistance to the democratic process.

He said the commission will seek to develop greater ties with NILS in the area of capacity building and training for political parties which would greatly help the work of INEC..

Earlier, Shagari, who is also a Member of the House of Representaives Committee on Electoral Matters, said the visit was to seek the cooperation of the commission in building a virile democratic institution in Nigeria through sustainable capacity building.