2027 Polls: INEC Presents N873.78bn Budget to NASS

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday submitted a proposed budget of N873.78 billion to the National Assembly for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figure while defending the commission’s 2026 appropriation request and presenting the projected cost for the upcoming national polls before the joint committee on electoral matters at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.

Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the election budget was structured into five major components to ensure comprehensive coverage of electoral activities.

According to the breakdown, N379.75bn is earmarked for operational costs, N209.21bn for technological upgrades, N154.91bn for election capital costs, N92.32bn for administrative expenses, and N42.61bn for miscellaneous items.

The INEC boss noted that the early presentation was 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.

He, however, clarified that the proposal did not capture a fresh demand from the National Youth Service Corps seeking an increase in ad-hoc staff allowances from the current N33,000 to N125,000 per corps member.

“That request is separate and will require additional funding,” Amupitan told lawmakers.

Beyond the election budget, INEC also proposed N171bn for its 2026 fiscal year operations, covering personnel costs, overheads, bye-elections, and off-season polls. The Ministry of Finance had initially provided an envelope of N140bn, a ceiling the commission described as insufficient.

“The envelope budgeting system is not suitable for a commission with a mandate as sensitive as ours,” Amupitan argued, adding that INEC requires urgent and flexible funding to respond to electoral exigencies.

The joint committee session also heard lawmakers express strong support for INEC’s financial autonomy.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) called for the outright rejection of the envelope model, insisting that external agencies should not dictate the funding framework for an independent electoral body.

In the same vein, House of Representatives member Billy Osawaru (Edo) advocated that INEC’s budget be placed on first-line charge, as constitutionally provided, to guarantee full and timely releases.

The committee approved a motion recommending the one-off release of the commission’s annual budgetary allocation to facilitate early planning for 2027.

Lawmakers also signalled readiness to consider the NYSC’s N32bn allowance request separately.

Senator Simon Along, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, assured the commission of legislative cooperation, while his House counterpart, Bayo Balogun, urged caution.

Balogun recalled the controversy surrounding the INEC Result Viewing portal during the 2023 general election, warning Amupitan against making promises that could not be technically fulfilled.

“iREV was not in the Electoral Act. It was only in INEC regulations. Be careful how you make commitments,” Balogun said.

The N873.78bn proposal marks a significant increase from the N313.4bn released by the Federal Government for the 2023 general election.