2019: Again, N’assembly Invites INEC Chairman, Mahmood

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again invited the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to give further clarifications on the 2019 General Elections Budget.

The Chairman of the Senate committee on INEC, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, who made this known to newsmen after the joint committee meeting on Thursday, said Yakubu was expected to be at the meeting by 11:00 am Friday.

He said the joint committee, having met to harmonise their reports, following Yakubu’s visit to both chambers on Wednesday, came to a conclusion that more clarifications needed to be made on the budget.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), we invited the chairman of INEC, who addressed the senate and House of Representatives and we met today to harmonise what transpired yesterday between both chambers.

“The meeting was convened consequent upon the letter of President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting for supplementary and virement for the 2019 general elections.

“We have done what we needed to do and we have realised there are differences.

“In view of that, we decided to invite the chairman of INEC for further clarifications tomorrow at 11 O’clock and from there we will issue a statement to inform Nigerians of our position,” Nazif said.

He assured Nigerians that the joint committee would endeavour to make sure that the elections did not suffer any setback as a result of the president’s request to the National Assembly.

He said, “We want to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the committee is committed to ensuring effective, credible, free and fair elections in 2019.”

The lawmaker commended his colleagues for cutting short their holiday to meet and consider the president’s letter in effort to ensure the success of the elections.