President Buhari, in his letter to both chambers of the National Assembly, had requested for N143 billion in 2018 and a balance of N45 billion to be appropriated in the 2019 budget.

• Senator, Reps to reconvene for final ratification

• Conduct credible polls in Rivers, EU tells FG

Fred Itua, Abuja and Tony John, Port Harcourt

Hope that the battle of wit between the National Assembly and the Executive would be resolved soon was dashed, yesterday, as lawmakers slashed the budget proposal submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari for the conduct of the 2019 general election.

READ ALSO: 2019 general elections: Sowore tells electorate to vote credible candidates

At a session of joint committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which insiders said was feisty with lawmakers divided along partisan lines, NASS threw out the N189 billion requested by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and instead approved N143 billion.

President Buhari, in his letter to both chambers of the National Assembly, had requested for N143 billion in 2018 and a balance of N45 billion to be appropriated in the 2019 budget.

While defending the budget, INEC chairman, had told the National Assembly panel to approve the N189 billion for him, against the directive of the president.

The disparity in the election budget pitted the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers against their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts.

While PDP lawmakers had favoured the adoption of N143 billion, according to President Buhari’s letter, APC lawmakers favoured N189 billion presented by INEC chairman.

The National Assembly joint committees on INEC, which reconvened, yesterday after the Sallah break, dissolved into a closed door session, shortly after the opening formalities.

Addressing newsmen after the closed down session, the Senate Committee Chairman on INEC, Suleiman Nazif, summoned Yakubu to represent N143 billion as requested by the president.

READ ALSO: 2019: INEC to re-design polling units to curb vote buying

He said the summons was for INEC to re-prioritise its needs to fit into the N143 billion, as adopted by the committee, against the N189 billion presented by INEC boss.

Nazif said: “…the joint committee has sat and has deliberated the position to adopt the N143 billion as presented by Mr. President at this point in time.

“It is also the wish of this committee that INEC represents their budget of N143 billion as requested by Mr. President. Therefore, INEC has an opportunity to re-prioritise and this committee will be ready to receive them. This committee will be reconvening tomorrow (today) by 1 O’clock so that we can consider the presentation by INEC.” When the committee chairman asked if what he said was the true reflection of what the joint committee discussed, the members answered “Yes.”

The meeting and adoption, yesterday, raised the hope that the controversy surrounding the 2019 election budget might soon be laid to rest.

Recall that a day after the National Assembly failed to reconvene following a blockade by security operatives on the Assembly complex, the leadership of NASS had said since programmes lined up to take place before recalling lawmakers have not been met, there was no need to rush back from recess.

It said, therefore, that no date has been fixed for the lawmakers to cut short their recess and return to work to consider the budget for 2019 elections or any other matter.

A statement jointly signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President and Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser (Media and Public Affairs) to Speaker, House of Representatives, said Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had informed senators, members of the House of Representatives and the public that “a date has not been set for the reconvening of the Senate and the House of Representatives to consider the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 2019 elections budget request forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 17, 2018.”

Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, Sean Hoy, has called on the Federal Government to take steps to ensure that elections are conducted within the ambit of the rule of law.

Similarly, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ketil Karlson, declared that measures must be placed on ground by relevant authorities to check a repeat of the electoral violence of August 18, at the Port Harcourt City Constituency 3 polls.

READ ALSO: EU ambassador commends Wike for projects delivery

Both ambassadors spoke, yesterday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, after a meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike, against the backdrop of the violence that marred the Port Harcourt City Constituency 3 election.

Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, Hoy said: “We must always follow the rule of law, because election without the rule of law is not good. And it is not good for good governance”.

He noted that they were in Rivers to participate in a programme organised by INEC to improve youths’ participation in elections.

Also, the European Union ambassador to Nigeria, Karlson, commended INEC for the action it took after the violence during the recent by-election in Port Harcourt.

Governor Wike said it was embarrassing that elections could not be conducted in just eight wards, saying nobody prayed for a repeat of the ugly situation.

“It is so embarrassing that the police cannot secure eight wards and 142 polling units. What will happen when elections will be conducted in 4,442 polling units. Violence will not help. I have told the international community that we want free and fair elections. Anybody who watched what happened on August 18 will know that if we had retaliated or told our people to come out, it would have been worse,” Wike said. He stated that the entire world saw the purveyors of violence, saying that Nigerians knew the real promoters of violence. We said, let the system play put, so that we know what they intend to do in 2019. For us as a government and as a people, we will continue to support free and fair elections”, he maintained.

He, however, urged the international community to prevail on the security agencies to promote the enabling environment for credible elections, noting that only credible polls would enhance the interest of the people.