President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the National Assembly in July this stated the general elections would cost N242billion and that it would be funded from the 2018 and 2019 budgets respectively.
However, the two chambers went on annual recess and to resume on September 22 this year which the Presidency pleaded with the lawmakers to reconvene in order to consider the request for the Commission’s operations.
The NASS leadership had scheduled the meeting for Tuesday but had to be put off due to the lockdown of the National Assembly by the Operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS which disrupted all the activities of the day.
The meeting which was held behind closed doors at the Senate wing of the National Assembly was attended by the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, his Deputy, Lasun Yusuff, and other principal officers from the both Chambers as well as INEC officials led by its Chairman, Prof. Yakubu.
Sources close to the meeting to the TribuneOnline that the NASS leadership queried the INEC why the request was not brought the NASS before now.
Details of the meeting were not made public as at the Press Time as the meeting was still in progress.
Addressing a World Press Conference earlier in the day, the Senate President, Senator Saraki had cleared the air on the allegation that the NASS was frustrating the Executive over the request and pending issues earlier put before it before the Vacation.
Senator Saraki declared that the NASS was totally committed to the conducted of hitch-free elections come to 2019 in the overall interest of Nigerians.
He then pleaded with President Buhari to sign into law the Electoral Amendment Bill pending before him
and then