By Mercy Aikoye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of N873.778 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while presenting the Commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.
He clarified that the N873.778 billion required for the 2027 polls is separate from the Commission’s 2026 budget proposal, in which INEC plans to spend N171 billion on its operations, including the conduct of by-elections and off-cycle elections.
According to Prof. Amupitan, the projected election budget does not include a fresh proposal by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) seeking an increase in allowances for Corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that although details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the nearly N1 trillion election budget is structured across five major components: N379.748 billion for operational costs; N92.317 billion for administrative costs; N209.206 billion for technological costs; N154.905 billion for election capital costs; and N42.608 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
The INEC chairman noted 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.
On the 2026 fiscal year, Prof. Amupitan said the Ministry of Finance provided the Commission with 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 suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding. He also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the Commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical failures.
In his remarks, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate. He urged that the envelope system be set aside for the Commission and that Parliament should work with INEC’s actual requirements to avoid future complaints of underfunding.
Similarly, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable proper planning and execution of its responsibilities.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said 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 Lalong, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support but cautioned the Commission against making promises it may not be able to fulfill.
He recalled that during the last general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“Meanwhile, the IREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
