The Independent National Electoral Commission has told lawmakers it will require ₦873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections, a figure nearly three times what the federal government released for the 2023 polls.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed the amount on Thursday, February 12, while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and projected election costs before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
Beyond the election budget, Amupitan said the commission also needs ₦171 billion to fund its routine operations in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season polls, bringing INEC’s total funding request to over one trillion naira.
The chairman broke down the election budget into five major components.
“₦379.75bn is for operational costs, ₦92.32bn for administrative costs, ₦209.21bn for technological costs, ₦154.91bn for election capital costs and ₦42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
He noted that the budget was drawn up in compliance with the law.
“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,” he said.
Amupitan clarified that the proposed figure does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking higher allowances for corps members who serve as ad-hoc election staff.
On the 2026 operational budget, the chairman disclosed that the Ministry of Finance had provided a ceiling of ₦140 billion but said INEC was proposing ₦171 billion.
The breakdown includes ₦109 billion for personnel costs, ₦18.7 billion for overheads, ₦42.63 billion for election-related activities, and ₦1.4 billion for capital expenditure.
Amupitan pushed back against the envelope budgeting system used by the finance ministry, arguing that it does not suit the commission’s operations.
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He also flagged the absence of a dedicated communications network as a major challenge, saying that if INEC builds its own infrastructure, Nigerians would be better positioned to hold the commission accountable for any technical failures during elections.
The budget presentation drew strong reactions from lawmakers who expressed support for INEC’s funding needs.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole argued that external agencies should not dictate INEC’s budgeting framework given the sensitive nature of its work.
He said the envelope budgeting model should be dropped and urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s actual proposal to prevent underfunding.
House of Representatives member Billy Osawaru called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released fully and on time to allow the commission plan adequately for 2027.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of INEC’s annual budget and said it would consider the NYSC’s request for approximately ₦32 billion to raise corps members’ election duty allowances to ₦125,000 each.
Senate Committee Chairman Simon Along assured that the National Assembly would work closely with INEC to ensure it receives the support it needs for the 2027 elections.
House Committee Chairman Bayo Balogun also pledged legislative backing but cautioned the commission against making promises it cannot deliver on.
He recalled INEC’s strong assurances ahead of the 2023 elections about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, which created the impression 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 ₦873.78 billion proposed for 2027 represents a massive jump from the ₦313.4 billion the federal government released to INEC for the 2023 general elections.