2019 election in jeopardy as National Assembly fails to sit on its budget

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Tuesday said no date has been fixed for the National Assembly to reconvene to consider the 2019 budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was disclosed in a statement signed by their media aides, Yusuph Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan.

They said it was unnecessary for the two chambers to meet because there was no report to consider.

The statement read in part:

“The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, have directed that we inform all Senators, Honorable members 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.

“The leadership of the two chambers had met and agreed to reconvene to consider the proposal this week before which a meeting between the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of the INEC must have held on or before Monday, August 13, 2018.

“The joint committees were also expected to meet with the joint Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Loans and Debts on the Eurobond loan request after which two reports would have been ready for presentation in the two chambers.

“However, no such meeting had taken place yet as a result of which both Senate and House of Representatives cannot reconvene as there is no report to consider,” the statement read.

The two leaders said further that the National Assembly will not reconvene, “Until the Committees have a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers.”