2011 elections: INEC prepares for 25 bye-elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission is preparing for the possibility of conducting at least 25 bye- elections across the 36 states of the federation.

The electoral body’s preparation is in anticipation of judicial pronouncements which may order for fresh elections.

It is also anticipating that it could conduct fresh elections in the event of death or resignation from office of elected officials.

A classified document sighted by our correspondent in Abuja, on Tuesday, revealed that INEC was projecting to conduct 25 bye-elections across Nigeria in 2011.

The document revealed that the commission is proposing to spend N141,999,000 for the printing of 8.6 million ballot papers at a unit cost of N16. 50.

A sum of N40,765,000 is being proposed for the printing of 20,425 sets of result sheets.

The document reads in part: “Though an election year, we anticipate an average of 25 bye-elections resulting from death, resignations and nullification of elections by election tribunals.”

For the other expenditure, INEC is setting aside N46.2m for the procurement of non-sensitive materials which include: envelops, biros, and ink; N50m is being set aside for the distribution of sensitive materials while N30m is for the distribution of non-sensitive materials.

In addition, INEC is projecting to spend N6.4m to rent tables and chairs at N250 per polling unit across 18,440 polling units while N13.4m or N2,500 (per canopy) will be spent to provide temporary shelter in the 7,376 polling units where the anticipated bye-elections are to be conducted.

For the proposed hiring of vehicles by INEC offices, the sum of N70m has been set aside. The sum will assist the offices to hire additional vehicles, boats and motorcycles while another N190m is for vehicle maintenance.

Other proposed expenditure contained in the document include, N273m for the procurement of fuel and lubricants required for vehicles and generators to be used at the INEC headquarters as well as state offices.

In the same document the sum of N323.5m under a sub-head “Operations Cost” is to be spent on “Monitoring, feeding of electoral officials and sundry allowances” in the same vein, N127m is to be spent on the conduct of likely recall proceedings on or before the end of 2011.

This sum, it was further revealed, will cover the conduct of referendum and verification of signatures in various constituencies where petitions for the recall of any elected official is received by INEC.

-Punch

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Posted by admin on May 31 2011. Filed under Elections 2011, Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry