Election observer group known as Election Monitor has expressed worry over the implications of delaying the passage of the budget for the 2019 general elections.
It said that it is important to note that election is a process and not an event, adding that the sum of the electoral process is the quality of any election.
National coordinator of Election Monitor, Abiodun Ajijola in a statement yesterday said the group is worried that the National Assembly has failed to pass the INEC budget since the request for virement and supplementary budget was made and read on the Senate floor.
Ajilola said it is absurd that elections have already commenced and no budget has been approved for the elections and there seems to be no urgency to do so.
“The window to conduct political party primaries is already open and INEC has no budget to monitor these primaries which has implications in the future if these primaries are held without being monitored, especially in the event of disputed primaries.
“The argument that the budget input came in late does not defend delaying the passage of the budget for any reason moral or political because Nigeria’s sustained democracy is greater than the interest of any person or group of persons.”
Ajilola stated further that the issue at hand is a national emergency and urgent steps need to be taken immediately to remedy the perilous situation. He said though this is an election related issue, it is also a security issue, because any crisis stemming from elections always has security implications, adding that much of the civil unrest across many African countries can be linked to elections directly or indirectly.
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to take necessary steps to save Nigeria from an impending political crisis.
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