INEC Proposes N873.78bn for 2027 General Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, on Thursday presented a proposed budget of N873,778,401,602.08 for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.

Breakdown of the 2027 Election Budget

INEC’s cost estimates include:

• Election Operational Costs: N375,748,195,271.47
• Election Administrative Costs: N92,311,591,396.58
• Election Technology Costs: N209,205,589,977.70
• Election Capital Costs: N154,904,529,641.94

These four components total N832,169,906,287.69.

In addition, the Commission projected N41,608,495,314.39 for Miscellaneous Expenses, bringing the overall total to N873.78 billion.

Amupitan clarified that the election budget is separate from INEC’s proposed N171 billion allocation for the 2026 fiscal year, which will cover routine operations, including by-elections and off-cycle polls. He noted that the submission complies with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the Commission to present its general election budget at least one year before the polls.

Lawmakers Raise Concerns

Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Samuel Lalong, assured that the National Assembly would thoroughly scrutinise the proposal before approving what it considers adequate funding for nationwide coverage.

He emphasised that while INEC presents financial estimates, the constitutional responsibility for approval and appropriation lies with the legislature.

The committee also indicated plans to review funding provisions for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who will be deployed for election duties.

Under INEC’s proposal:

• Each corps member would receive N127,000
• N4,500 for feeding
• N5,000 for five days of training

Approximately 450,000 corps members are expected to be deployed for the elections.

Electronic Transmission Controversy

The budget presentation comes amid recent controversy over amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, particularly regarding electronic transmission of results.

On February 4, the Senate initially rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal mandatory under Clause 60(3). Instead, it retained Section 60(5), which allows INEC to determine the mode of result transmission.

The decision sparked protests led by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, later joined by former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Following mounting public pressure, the Senate convened an emergency plenary on February 10 and reversed its position. It approved electronic transmission of results to the IReV portal while allowing manual collation as a backup in cases of technological failure.

The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno and supported by Minority Leader Abba Moro, was passed by voice vote. The Senate and House of Representatives are now expected to harmonise their respective versions of the amendment bill.

The developments mark a critical phase in preparations for the 2027 elections, as funding, technology, and legal frameworks continue to shape the electoral process.