The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it would publish campaign expenses of political parties immediately after the elections.
Consequently, INEC has engaged the services of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Financial Investigation Unit, FIU, to track campaign finances of political parties and their candidates.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Inter-agency campaign finance monitoring group Monday, Prof. Anthonia Okosi-Simbine, INEC national commissioner, said the report of the 2019 campaign finances would be released immediately after the elections.
National Broadcasting Commission NBC, Nigeria Communication Commission NCC Centre for Social Justice CSJ, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF and four other organizations will collaborate in tracking the campaign finances.
Simbina said: “We will check newspapers advert, TV, Radio, billboards and we must see to the conclusion. Those who spent beyond what the legal frame work provided for or spent outrageously, will have themselves to blame.
“Vote buying must be monitored too and those reports must be published after the election. Unlike what happened in the past, six months will be late for the report. We will ensure compliance to the Electoral Act.”
She said all the 10 groups engaged for the tracking of the campaign finances will be working with the electoral finance and party monitoring department of INEC.
Also speaking, Ishaq Garba Aliyu, the Assistant Director, Campaign Finance Tracking Unit, while speaking on the process, said the commission recorded milestones in the 2015 campaign finance tracking, adding that they won’t leave chances in the 2019 election campaigns.
“We have built the capacity of the staff. They review the tracking forms to include separate forms for candidates and political parties. The tracking ends on the day of election,” she added.
