INEC Yet to Receive Funds for 2027 General Elections, Says National Commissioner

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it is yet to receive budgetary allocations for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, despite already commencing preliminary preparations for the exercise.

The commission's National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, made this known during a cross-sectoral interactive session in Abuja organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in partnership with Legis360.

The "fireside chat" brought together representatives of political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), and electoral officials to review the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election and discuss INEC's readiness for the 2027 general elections.

Haruna disclosed that the commission has proposed a budget of N873.78 billion for the elections, with a significant portion allocated to election operations, technology deployment, and capital expenditure. However, he noted that the commission is still awaiting the release of the funds.

He explained that the current situation does not violate the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires that funds for a general election be released to INEC no later than six months before the polls.

Despite the delay, Haruna said the commission has begun preparations for the procurement of election materials, including the replacement of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices that were damaged, lost, or not recovered after previous elections.

"Our Director of ICT just returned from China regarding procurement because not all the BVAS devices used during the last general elections were recovered. Orders need to be placed, and these things take time," he said.

To avoid a repeat of the technical challenges experienced with the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal during the 2023 presidential election, Haruna said the commission plans to conduct mock presidential election exercises to thoroughly test its technology before the 2027 polls.

Addressing concerns over the projected cost of the elections, Haruna argued that the average cost per voter provides a more accurate picture than the overall budget.

"This N800 billion-plus sounds enormous, but when you calculate the average cost per voter, it is about six dollars, which is reasonable for a country such as Nigeria," he said. "People forget that virtually everything we use is imported. The BVAS devices and many other election materials are imported, while exchange rate fluctuations also affect the overall cost."

Haruna also identified conflicting court rulings and last-minute judicial orders as major operational challenges facing the commission. He cited the Ekiti governorship election, where injunctions issued between 24 and 48 hours before the poll required INEC to make urgent adjustments to its election materials and software.

"When a court gives a last-minute injunction to include parties such as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), we are forced to reconfigure the software and update physical materials immediately," he said. "This leaves very little time to properly test the systems, although we still strive to achieve substantial compliance with the electoral guidelines."