The Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters has proposed a 30 and 40 per cent slash in salaries of legislators and executive members respectively.
This proposal was made on Monday during an interactive session with the Judiciary and political parties led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Sharafadeen Alli on the National Assembly Review and amendment of the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the committee, the salaries of legislators should be reduced by 30 percent while that of the executives be reduced by 40 percent to cut costs.
During the session, political parties also proposed that all elections, presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and State Houses of Assembly be conducted in a single day, asserting that the current staggered system of elections is not cost-effective.
They also proposed the continuous voter registration link to the National Identity Number (NIN) for added security and to save costs during the voter’s registration.
Among the 35 proposals presented during the 3-day retreat by the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC), Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, the registered political parties also maintained that appointment of chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should no longer be the responsibility of the executive, rather, it should be advertised to interested parties.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the joint committee has promised to interact with INEC and Nigerians across the board for robust feedback to minimise disruptions and ensure rancour and hitch-free elections in the future.
