2019: Party congresses, primaries to cost INEC N630m

The forthcoming political parties’ primaries is to cost the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) N630 million, it was learnt.

The sum is outside the N160.792 million proposed by the commission for campaign finance tracking and reporting; INEC is expected to monitor intraparty primaries of the 91 political parties across the country, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Section 86 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, empowers INEC to monitor the activities of all political parties. It reads: “the commission shall keep records of the activities of all registered political parties.”

While Section 87 states that any political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under the 2010 Act, as amended, shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions.

Consequently, INEC is expected to monitor all the primaries at states and national levels. The breakdown of the budget according to the commission’s 2019 Election Project Plan Volume II shows, that, of the N630 million budgeted, about N182.55 million will be allotted to conduct of primaries and congresses in at state and local government levels.

The commission also proposes to spend N27.88 million for the presidential conventions while governorship primaries will gulp N104.8925 million. Senatorial primaries, federal and state constituency primaries will also cost N104.8925 million respectively even as INEC vows to track the campaign spending of all the political parties and their candidates, to ensure that they do not exceed the stipulated amount for electoral campaign.

Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended stipulates that presidential candidate spending shall not exceed N1 billion and governorship candidate, N200 million. Campaign spending for senatorial and House of Representatives slots shall not exceed N40 million and N20 million respectively, according to the act.

The maximum amount of campaign expenses to be incurred by candidates for state assembly elections shall be N10 million; while Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates spending should not exceed N10 million and N1 million respectively, as stipulated by the law.

The law also holds that an individual or other entity shall not donate more than N1 million to any candidate.

A political party that incurs election expenses beyond the limit stipulated according to Section 92 (7) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N1 million and forfeiture to INEC of the amount by which the expenses exceed the limit set by the commission.

Despite allegations that the major political parties have flouted these laws in the past, no party or candidate has been sanctioned till date. To successfully track the parties and candidates’ campaign finances, with a view to ensure that no party or candidate exceeds the stipulated figures, the commission has budgeted N160.792 million.

Further  breakdown of INEC’s spending reveals that N55.5 million will be committed to sensitization workshop for political parties/candidates.

The sum of N57.2 million will be used to do the actual monitoring of campaign finance for all registered political parties. The commission also stated that it will cost N8 million to compile and produce the report of the tracking of all political parties’ expenses.