The Independent National Electoral Commission has cried out that the  proposed budget for the commission for 2024 may be insufficient.

The  Chairman of the Commission  Prof. Mahmood Yakubu  said it has  Edo and Ondo governorship elections to carryout beside other by-elections.

He therefore called for the amount to be jacked up from the current N40 billion to N89 billion to enable the agency perform its constitutional responsibilities creditably next year.

Yakubu complained that the cash backing for the N18 billion approved as supplementary budget for the commission by the National Assembly before the last off cycle elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states have not been released.

The Edo governorship election is expected to hold in September next year while the Ondo poll may hold in October.

Also, court-ordered by-elections are expected to be conducted by INEC.

The agency will also conduct by-elections to fill some National Assembly seats, which became vacant,  following the appointment of the federal lawmakers into the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Yakuu said: “We need N89 billion rather than N40 billion. We have given a detailed breakdown of how we intend to spend the N89 billion. Personnel cost rises from N26.5 billion in 2023 to N44.5 billion in 2024, overhead cost N7.9 billion, electoral expenditure N9.7 billion and a  capital expenditure N909 Million.

“The N40 billion can only cover personnel costs and social contributions.  Our personnel cost in 2023 was N21.8 billion but because of the 40 percent peculiar allowance, the new DTA, the 35 percent wage award, and others, our wage bill now is N36.5 billion. If you take it out of the N40 billion, there is virtually nothing left in the budget for Capital, Electoral, and Overhead Expenditures.”