The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the National Assembly to approve ₦873.78 billion to fund Nigeria’s 2027 general election, marking a sharp rise from the amount released for the 2023 polls.
INEC’s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, presented the proposed election budget on Thursday to the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja, alongside a separate ₦171 billion budget for the commission’s routine operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
The nearly ₦1 trillion election budget is more than double the ₦313.4 billion that the Federal Government released to INEC for the 2023 general elections.
Amupitan explained that the proposed election budget was structured across key categories including operational costs, administrative expenses, technology, capital items and miscellaneous expenditures.
He stressed that the projection was prepared in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the commission to prepare an election budget at least one year before the polls.
The ₦171 billion request for 2026 is designed to cover INEC’s routine activities for the year, including by-elections and other off-cycle polls.
Amupitan noted that the Ministry of Finance had given INEC a budget ceiling of ₦140 billion for 2026, which the commission views as inadequate considering the scope of its responsibilities.
During the presentation, lawmakers called for INEC’s allocation to be placed on first-line charge as stipulated in the Constitution, meaning it would be released in full and on time to allow for early preparations ahead of the 2027 elections.
The joint committee also approved a motion recommending that INEC’s annual budget be released in one lump sum, rather than in parts, to enhance planning and logistics.
Also under consideration is a request from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc election staff, although these figures were not included in INEC’s initial budget presentation.
The National Assembly will now review INEC’s proposal as part of the 2026 budget process.
Approval of the nearly ₦1 trillion election budget will be a critical step in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, which include the presidency, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly contests.
