INEC seeks N873.78bn for 2027 general elections, N171bn for 2026 operations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, alongside N171 billion to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the Commission’s 2026 budget proposal and projected 2027 election cost before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

Amupitan explained that the N873.78 billion allocation is intended to cover the full conduct of national polls in 2027. In addition, N171 billion is required to support the Commission’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections.

He noted that the proposed election budget excludes a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which is seeking increased allowances for corps members serving as ad-hoc staff during elections.

Breaking down the nearly N1 trillion election budget, the INEC chairman said it is structured into five major components: N379.75 billion for operational costs, N92.32 billion for administrative costs, N209.21 billion for technological costs, N154.91 billion for election capital costs, and N42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.

According to him, the budget was prepared in compliance with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before a general election.

On the 2026 fiscal proposal, Amupitan revealed that the Ministry of Finance had provided a budget envelope of N140 billion.

However, INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171 billion. The breakdown includes N109 billion for personnel costs, N18.7 billion for overheads, N42.63 billion for election-related activities, and N1.4 billion for capital expenditure.

He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not well suited to INEC’s operations, stressing that the Commission’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.

Amupitan also identified the absence of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge. He suggested that developing an independent network infrastructure would enhance accountability, particularly in addressing technical glitches during elections.

During the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate INEC’s budgeting framework, given the sensitive and unique nature of its mandate. He advocated scrapping the envelope budgeting model and urged the National Assembly to align with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid underfunding.

Similarly, House of Representatives member Billy Osawaru from Edo State called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge, as provided in the Constitution, with funds released fully and promptly to enable early preparations for the 2027 polls.

The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of INEC’s annual budget. It also indicated that it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32 billion to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure adequate support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

In the House, Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative backing but cautioned INEC against making promises it may be unable to fulfil. He recalled that during the 2023 general election, the Commission gave strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing (iREV) portal, creating expectations of real-time monitoring.

“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.

The N873.78 billion proposed for the 2027 elections represents a sharp increase compared to the N313.4 billion released by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.