Yakubu, asserted that Nigeria’s elections were not the most expensive, if the entire cost was spread per head of the voting population, projected to be about 95million.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the commission would engage no fewer than 1.4 million Nigerians for national and state elections as ad hoc staff in the 2023 general elections.
The body noted that the cost of logistics, highly-secured ballot papers, allowances for personnel, among other reasons, are responsible for the huge funds used in conducting elections in Nigeria.
This was made known by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, while responding to questions at an interactive session with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Lagos.
Yakubu, asserted that Nigeria’s elections were not the most expensive, if the entire cost was spread per head of the voting population, projected to be about 95million.
He stressed that the last elections conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau were more expensive, if the voters’ population was considered per capital in relation to the cost.
He said; “In France, the ballot paper is like an A4 sheet of paper, because it is unthinkable that anybody in France will snatch the ballot paper.
“But here in Nigeria, we print ballots papers in currency quality and we entrust them to Central Bank of Nigeria. The ballot papers will now be move with all the protocols and security according to the movement of the national currency, just to protect the process.
“This is not going to be done cheaply. So, we pay for lack of trust in the system. The cost in Nigeria, I think, is nine dollars per head (N4,500) as against what happens in other countries. Ours is not even the most expensive.
“The cost of elections in Nigeria in 2023 is N305billion of the national budget of over N17trillion. The cost of elections is just 1.8 per cent, not even up to two per cent of the national budget.
“If we remove the technology cost, 60 per cent of the cost of elections in Nigeria is spent on logistics and personnel allowances,” he said.
The INEC boss said that the commission would engage no fewer than 1.4 million Nigerians for national and state elections as ad hoc staff who would have to be paid and transported to their various locations.
“I am sure as we continue to build trust and confidence in the process, the cost of elections will come down considerably,” Yakubu said.