THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has budgeted sum of N7 billion to conduct the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections in 2022.
INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu said this on Friday while defending the Commission’s 2022 appropriation bill before the National Assembly.
He said the sum makes part of the total N140 billion the Commission had budgeted to spend in 2022.
“We also budgeted N7bn for the conduct of Ekiti and Osun governorship election, including the possibility of runoffs,” he said.
“We made a provision of N2.6bn for Ekiti State with a population of over one million registered voters and N4.4bn for Osun with 30 local government areas.”
INEC has fixed June 18, 2022, for the Ekiti governorship election and July 16, 2022, for the same exercise in Osun state.
Yakubu said the commencement date of the campaign and other detailed timetables and schedule of activities for the two elections were uploaded on the Commission’s website and social media platforms.
“In the sequence of off-season elections, the Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections are holding next year.
“In keeping with our policy of announcing the dates of elections in advance to enable early and adequate preparations by all concerned, the Commission has approved that the Ekiti State Governorship election will hold on Saturday, June 18 2022.
“The Osun State Governorship election will hold one month later on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
“We implore political parties and aspirants to ensure rancour-free primaries and, after that, conduct peaceful electioneering campaigns,” he said.
The timetable and schedule of activities for the two elections, INEC would release notice for the Ekiti State governorship election on January 3, 2022
The Commission also scheduled the conduct of parties primaries for the state election between January 4 to 29, 2022.
He stated that campaigns by political parties would begin by March 20, 2022, and end on June 16, 2022, while the final list of candidates for the election will be released on May 19, 2022.
For Osun state, according to the timetable, the notice of election would be issued on February 15, 2022.
Also, parties’ primaries and resolutions of disputes arising from the exercise are scheduled to hold from February 16, 2022, to March 12, 2022.
The campaigns by political parties for the state election is expected to start from April 17, 2022, and end on July 14, 2022.
Yakubu stated that April 8, 2022, is scheduled as the last day for political parties’ withdrawal/replacement of candidates, and June 16 2022, for publication of final candidates for the Osun governorship election.
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