2019: General elections will cost N242.4bn - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, July 17, informed the National Assembly that the 2019 elections will cost N242.4 billion, Channels TV reports.

Legit.ng gathered the president disclosed this in a letter to the Senate which was read on the floor during plenary session.

The president in the letter explained that implementing a budget of N9.12 trillion for 2018 will be extremely challenging and therefore does not consider it expedient to increase the 2018 budget to accommodate the funds needed for the 2019 General Elections.

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He asked the National Assembly to transfer the funds appropriated for the new projects which are inserted in the 2018 budget to cover the sum of N228.8 billion for the elections. The president noted that the balance of 78.3 billion will be provided in the 2019 budget.

The president had in June disclosed that he was going to send a supplementary budget after raising concerns about some of the changes made by lawmakers in the 2018 budget.

He said that the supplementary/amendment budget will solve some critical issues which he hopes “the National Assembly will be able to expeditiously consider.”

Legit.ng previously reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, January 9, released the timetable and schedules of activities for the 2019 general elections.

INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said in Abuja that the dates for National Assembly and Presidential elections remain February 16, 2019; while governorship and State House of Assembly elections, will hold on March 2, 2019.

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Yakubu said that the conduct of party primaries including resolution of disputes arising from primaries for national and state elections has been slated for between Aug. 18 and 2018 to Oct. 7, 2018.

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Source: Legit.ng