INEC Denies Budgeting N6b To Feed Policemen In 2019 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday denied claims that it budgeted N6 billion naira to feed policemen during the 2019 general elections.

According to the electoral umpire, what it has is “a budget head for feeding all election personnel on election days”.

Correcting the erroneous impression  in a Facebook post on Thursday night, INEC said the estimated budget for security personnel, which includes officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Immigration, Prison, among others, as well as electoral officers, is actually “more than 25 percent less than what is being bandied around”.

INEC also noted that the budget covers all elections, including by-elections, re-runs, run-offs and court ordered elections.

The post read: “INEC did not budget N6 billion to feed the police. There is no budget head for feeding the Police in the INEC Election Budget.

“What we do have is a budget head for feeding all election personnel on election days and it covers all INEC permanent and ad hoc staff, presiding officers, supervisors, monitors, collation and returning officers and all security personnel on election duty including the police, NSDC, Immigration, Prison & NDLEA officers, etc., numbering in excess of a million people.

“The estimated budget for this is more than 25% less than what is being bandied around and it covers all elections including bye elections, re runs, run offs and court ordered elections.”