A total sum of N288,188,772,947.06 has been flagged in the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
This was revealed by the newly released Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in MDAs for the year 2022.
The report detailed multiple audit issues relating to procurement processes, payments to contractors, non-retirement of advances, and failure to remit statutory deductions by the commission between 2018 and 2019 under Mahmood Yakubu as chairman.
Under one audit observation, the Auditor-General reported that N5,312,238,499.39 was paid for the supply of Smart Card Readers for the 2019 general elections through a restricted procurement method without prior approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement.
The contract, which exceeded the approval threshold of the Tender Board, was not approved by the Federal Executive Council. Instead, presidential approval was obtained under Section 15(2) of the Public Procurement Act, which the audit noted did not apply to the procurement of smart card readers.
Additional payments, including mobilisation fees and further disbursements were reportedly made without adequate documentation or evidence of supply.
Reacting, INEC management said, “The observation is noted. However, due process was strictly adhered to in the award of the contract. Approval was obtained from the Presidency, vide a letter with Ref. No. PRES/122/INEC/2 of 21 June, 2018.
The commission leveraged the mobilisation to encourage and ensure that the contractor meets the deadline for the production and supply of the SCR.
