The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a total of ₦873.78bn for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, alongside ₦171bn for its 2026 operational activities.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday while defending the commission’s budget before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
He said the 2027 election budget covers operational, administrative, technological, capital, and miscellaneous costs, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 requiring early preparation of election funding.
According to him, ₦379.75bn is allocated for operational costs, ₦92.32bn for administrative expenses, ₦209.21bn for technology, ₦154.91bn for capital costs, and ₦42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses.
For 2026, INEC said it requires ₦171bn, despite a ₦140bn budget ceiling provided by the Ministry of Finance, citing the need for flexibility in its activities, including bye-elections and preparatory work for 2027 polls.
Amupitan also raised concerns over infrastructure gaps, particularly the lack of a dedicated communications network for election operations.
Lawmakers at the session expressed support for adequate funding, with some urging that INEC’s budget be given priority release to avoid delays in election preparation.
The joint committee also considered a proposal for increased allowances for National Youth Service Corps members deployed as ad-hoc election staff.
The proposed ₦873.78bn election budget represents a sharp increase compared to the ₦313.4bn spent on the 2023 general elections.
