The Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to spend over N1.9bn on legal fees and related matters as aggrieved candidates challenge the outcomes of various elections in court.
Atiku, a
former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, and others have
already challenged the result of the elections in court.
The information is contained in INEC’s 2019 Election Project Plan which was obtained by The PUNCH.
The
document reads in part, “N1, 796, 547, 500.00. Professional fees and
expenses for external solicitors to be engaged by the commission to
represent it at the tribunals and appeals; honorarium for legal officers
that represent the commission at election petitions and appeals.
“Analysis
of fees: Governorship petition at N4.5m X 20; senatorial petition at
N3m X 45; House of Reps atN2.7m X105; state House of Assembly N1.350m X
244. Honorarium to in-house lawyers is seven per cent of fees payable to
external solicitors.”
Of the sum, N6m was spent on pre-election cases which are disputes that arose from the conduct of party primaries.
The
commission will also spend a separate N26.5m on monitoring the hearing
of election petitions and appeals across the 36 states and the FCT.
The
sum will cover duty tour allowance and transport costs for the monitors
at the hearing of election petitions and appeals as well as the
compilation and printing of reports of petitions and appeals.
The
electoral umpire also budgeted a separate N99.5m for the compilation
and production of updated electoral legal framework including the code
of conduct for external lawyers and code of conduct for staff.
A separate N25m will be spent on the prosecution of electoral offenders.
Yakubu
had revealed in January that the commission battled 1, 134 legal cases
arising from election disputes in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Source:- Punchng
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