To cut costs, the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters has proposed a 30 per cent salary reduction for Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas’ National Assembly members and a 40 per cent reduction for President Bola Tinubu-led executive members......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
This proposal was made during an interactive session with the Judiciary and political parties, led by Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.
All elections should be conducted in a day
According to Channels TV, the political parties also suggested conducting all elections, presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and State Houses of Assembly, in a single day, citing the current staggered system as not cost-effective.
Additionally, they proposed linking continuous voter registration to the National Identity Number (NIN) for added security and cost savings during voter registration.
Among the 35 proposals presented, political parties also advocated for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman’s appointment to be advertised publicly rather than being the executive’s responsibility.
Senate to engage INEC others for reform
The Chairman of the joint committee promised to engage with INEC and Nigerians to gather feedback and ensure smooth, hitch-free elections in the future.
This is coming amid calls from Nigerians for the government to reduce its cost of governance as the country’s people continue to battle economic hardship.
President Tinubu has consistently appealed to Nigerians, expressing optimism that his economic policies would materialise for the people’s benefits and gains.
Senate in close-door session over Wike’s budget
Legit earlier reported that the Senate went into a closed-door session following Senator Ireti Kingibe’s question on why the FCT budget was raised without her input.
Kingibe and the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, have been at odds over the runnings of FCT affairs, and the latter has vowed to unseat her in 2027.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio also talked down the senator, asking Wike to ignore her during a flag-off ceremony at Kugbo Bus Terminal in the FCT.