The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that went viral stating that it had budgeted N6 billion for feeding policemen during the 2019 election. The joint committees on INEC at the National Assembly are currently working on INEC’s budget and are expected to handover the appropriation Committee soon.

Next is INEC’s statement on this matter:

INEC did not budget N6 billion to feed the police

There is no budget head for feeding the police in the INEC Election Budget

What we do have is a budget head for feeding all election personnel on election days and it covers all INEC permanent and ad hoc staff, presiding officers, supervisors, monitors, collation and returning officers and all security personnel on election duty including the police, NSDC, Immigration, Prison & NDLEA officers, etc numbering in excess of a million people. The estimated budget for this is more than 25% less than what is being bandied around and it covers all elections including bye elections, re runs, run offs and court ordered elections.