The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has earmarked N9 billion in the 2018 budget estimates of the commission for hazard and other allowances of staff members on the field.

Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made disclosure on Wednesday while defending the 2018 budget estimates of the electoral body before the Senate Committee on INEC.

He explained that the total budgetary figure of the commission for the 2019 general election was still being compiled.

According to him, the exact amount of money the 2019 general election will cost the commission across the 119,999 polling units in the country can only be arrived at, after the passage of Electoral Act.

“It is provisions of the amendment to 2010 Electoral Act after passage by the National Assembly that will show the commission how elections at primary level by the political parties would be conducted.

“And monetary cost that would entail on the part of INEC, let alone the general elections”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on INEC also screened additional 8 nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Those screened and cleared were Dr Usman Ajidagba from Kwara, Baba Yusuf Abba, Borno, Segun Agbaje from Ekiti .

Others are: Yahaya Bello, Nasarawa and Mohammed Ibrahim from Gombe.

Meanwhile, INEC has said the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) would be temporarily suspended 60 days to the commencement of the 2019 general elections.

The commission in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Solomon Soyebi, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said the exercise would be suspended to due to a change in electoral law.

Soyebi disclosed that so far over four million Nigerians had been registered across the country, in the exercise that began on April 27, 2017.

“The nationwide CVR is to afford all eligible Nigerians, 18 years and above, who did not register in the previous exercise, an opportunity to do so.

“So far over four million have registered across the country.

“The commission wishes to assure all eligible Nigerians that the CVR exercise is designed to continue indefinitely as envisaged by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“However, as provided for in Section 9 (5) of the Electoral Act (as amended), the CVR will be temporarily suspended 60 days to the commencement of the next General Elections scheduled for February 2019.

“The exercise will resume after the conclusion of the elections.