He said this when he featured on the “Media Parliament”, an interactive programme organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council.
According to the chairman, petrol will take the bulk of the N1 billon earmarked for transportation.
He explained that the constant fuel price hike has made the commission to review its proposal at least six times.
On the voter register, he said though the commission spent N15 million to print during the last council poll held in 2021, the cost has skyrocketed to over N200 million now because of inflation.
Osibodu said “I can tell you that our budget as proposed is in excess of N2 billion. I have said that somewhere before and someone said ‘Ha! It’s too much. You people should fear God.’
“Now, I will give you one or two examples. In 2021, to print the voter’s register that we get from INEC, I remember we have to print three copies of each, the total number of the pages came to 869,000 and some pages. We printed it at N17 per page in July 2021. It costs us, if I am right altogether, about N15 million.
“This circle, the best we have got, is N225 per page. You cannot take it to just anywhere, it has to be a security printer. That alone, just that voters register will cost us well in excess of N200 million just to print. I can go on and on.
“The way that fuel prices have increased, last election we spent roughly over N200 million on transportation on election day itself. This time it will be well in excess of N1 billion because fuel cost alone has almost gone up ten times since then. It may still go up even before those elections.
“Every day, prices are increasing. Believe you me when we started this process, we have done six or seven different budgets because we are constantly having to review, but all I can tell you is that, it is well in excess, as at today, of N2 billion.”
Osibodu further said N70 million has been generated by the commission from all candidates.
He described the amount generated as a drop in the ocean when compared to the funds need to conduct the election.
The chairman said eight political parties will be participating in the November 16 LG election, out of which, only two have submitted candidates for all the chairmanship and councillorships seats.
He reiterated his commitment to conducting a free and credible election.
“On my own honour, with my integrity on the line, I have said it many times and I say it here today, I am working on a free, fair, credible and transparent elections,” he assured.
