The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told the National Assembly that it will require N873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections, alongside N171 billion to run its activities in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget estimates and projected 2027 election costs before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
The proposed N873.78 billion marks a sharp rise from the N313.4 billion released by the Federal Government for the 2023 general elections. Nigeria is scheduled to hold nationwide polls in 2027, while Ekiti and Osun states will conduct governorship elections this year, in addition to polls in the Federal Capital Territory and several by-elections.
Amupitan explained that the N873.78 billion covers the entire cost of organising the 2027 general elections, while the N171 billion proposed for 2026 would fund routine operations, including off-cycle elections and by-elections.
He clarified that the 2027 projection does not factor in a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which is seeking higher allowances for corps members deployed as ad hoc election staff.
Although he did not provide exhaustive details of each budget line, the INEC chairman broke down the projected election expenditure into five key areas.
“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.
He added that the commission prepared the budget “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 plan, Amupitan noted that the Ministry of Finance had issued a N140 billion budget ceiling, but INEC is proposing N171 billion in total spending. 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 criticised the envelope budgeting framework, arguing that it does not reflect the commission’s operational realities, particularly the need for timely and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the absence of a dedicated communications infrastructure as a major constraint. According to him, if INEC builds its own network, Nigerians would be better placed to demand accountability for any technical failures during elections.
During the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) cautioned against allowing external agencies to dictate the commission’s funding structure, given the sensitivity of its mandate. He called for the scrapping of the envelope budgeting system and urged lawmakers to support INEC’s full financial request to prevent underfunding.
Similarly, House of Representatives member Billy Osawaru (Edo) advocated placing INEC’s budget on first-line charge in accordance with constitutional provisions, ensuring full and timely release of funds to facilitate early preparations for the 2027 polls.
The joint committee subsequently adopted a motion recommending the one-off release of INEC’s annual budget.
Lawmakers also indicated they would review the NYSC’s request for about N32 billion to increase allowances for corps members engaged in election duties to N125,000 each.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Simon Lalong, assured the commission of legislative backing to guarantee a successful 2027 general election.
In the same vein, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, pledged support but warned INEC to manage public expectations carefully.
Recalling the controversy surrounding the 2023 elections, he referenced assurances made about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“IReV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
