The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday informed the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections.
The commission also demanded N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
The N873.78 billion projected for the 2027 elections is a huge increase over the N313.4 billion given by the Federal Government to hold the 2023 general election.
The country will hold federal elections in 2027, with governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states this year, as well as the Federal Capital Territory election and by-elections.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan made the revelation while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and projected cost for the 2027 general elections to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78 billion election budget includes the entire conduct of the 2027 general elections, while the N171 billion proposed for 2026 is intended to support routine activities such as by-elections and off-season polls.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria pointed out that the proposed election budget did not contain a new proposal from the National Youth Service Corps for enhanced allowances for corps members working as ad hoc personnel during elections.
He explained that, while individual line items were not thoroughly disclosed, the nearly N1 trillion election budget was divided into five primary components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs, and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
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He mentioned that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
Amupitan said that the Ministry of Finance gave a financial envelope of N140 billion for the fiscal year 2026 but added that “INEC proposes a total expenditure of N171 billion.”
The breakdown includes N109 billion for personnel expenditures, N18.7 billion for overheads, N42.63 billion for election-related activities, and N1.4 billion for capital expenses.
Amupitan claimed that the envelope budgeting approach was unsuitable for the commission’s operations, pointing out that INEC’s activities frequently required immediate and flexible funding.
He also noted the lack of a dedicated communications network as a significant operational barrier, stating that if the commission builds its own network infrastructure, Nigerians will be better able to hold it accountable for any technical disruptions.
Speaking at the session, Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) stated that external entities should not dictate INEC’s financial framework due to the delicate nature of its mandate. He proposed abandoning the envelope budgeting methodology.
He encouraged the National Assembly to support INEC’s financial request to avoid potential underfunding.
Similarly, Billy Osawaru, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, has urged for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as allowed in the Constitution, with monies given in full and on time to allow for early planning for the 2027 general elections.
The joint committee accepted a motion recommending a one-time disbursement of the commission’s yearly budget.
The committee also stated that it will consider the NYSC’s request for approximately N32 billion to enhance allowances for corps members to N125,000 apiece when engaged in electoral activities.
Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, told the commission that the National Assembly would work closely with it to ensure that the 2027 general elections were conducted successfully.
Similarly, Bayo Balogun, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, expressed legislative support while cautioning the commission against making commitments it would not keep.
He noted that during the 2023 general election, INEC promised to upload results to the INEC Result Viewing platform, giving the impression that results could be viewed in real time.
“IReV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
