The Independent  National Electoral Commission, INEC, is to spend N93 billion to conduct a hitch-free general election in 2015, even as it disclosed, yesterday, that elections may not hold in strife-torn sections of the North-East.

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who disclosed these yesterday while speaking at a stakeholders’ hearing organised by the Senate Committee on INEC in collaboration with Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, Abuja and the United Kingdom Department for International Development, DFID, also drew attention to what he described as the classification of elections in Nigeria as war.

He said that the commission was considering holding the 2015 elections between January and February adding that the country spent about $8 per voter in the 2011 elections, which according to him was normal as he noted that Ghana in its last election spent between $10-12 per voter, while Kenya spent between $8-9, stressing that the $8 spent in the country was globally acceptable.

Jega, who described funding as one of the challenges facing the commission as it prepares for the 2015 elections for the 73.5 million eligible voters, said that election was one of the many things which require funding by government.

The proposed N93 billion is N29 billion short of the N122.9 billion that was used in conducting the 2011 general elections and preparing a voters’ register.

He explained that in preparing for the forthcoming elections, one guiding principles for the commission has been to make elections more cost-effective and to give Nigerians better value for money.

The INEC Chairman said that apart from the funding challenge, there was the problem of insecurity, which could affect conducting elections in some states in the North-East where there are challenges of insurgency.

He added that unless security situation changes in the zone, the commission would not conduct elections in the affected states.

Jega said that the commission cannot continue to conduct elections under a period of emergency, because same was brought about by generalised insecurity.

According to him, “the situation under a state of emergency is that you cannot do a free and fair election. Ideally, you cannot conduct election under a period of emergency.”

Jega said one of the most depressing epithets of elections in Nigeria was that they were said to be akin to war, noting that the heat and passion associated with elections in Nigeria often make elections appear like war.