The electoral body disclosed this on Thursday during the presentation of its 2026 budget proposal and projected election costs before the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the ₦873.78 billion earmarked for the 2027 general elections represents a sharp increase from the ₦313.4 billion released by the Federal Government for the 2023 elections.
Nigeria is scheduled to hold its next general elections in 2027, while Ekiti and Osun states will conduct governorship elections this year. The Federal Capital Territory election and several by-elections are also expected within the period.
According to Amupitan, the ₦873.78 billion proposal covers the full conduct of the 2027 elections, while the ₦171 billion requested for 2026 is intended to support routine operations such as off-season polls, by-elections, and administrative activities.
He noted that the election budget does not include a fresh request by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for increased allowances for corps members deployed as ad hoc election staff.
Breaking down the proposed election budget, the INEC chairman said it was structured across five major components 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 a general election.
According to him, ₦379.75 billion is allocated for operational costs, ₦92.32 billion for administrative expenses, ₦209.21 billion for technological requirements, ₦154.91 billion for election capital costs, and ₦42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan revealed that the Ministry of Finance provided a budget envelope of ₦140 billion, but INEC is proposing total expenditure of ₦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.
He criticised the envelope budgeting system, arguing that it does not suit INEC’s operational realities, as the commission often requires urgent and flexible funding.
He also identified the absence of a dedicated communications network as a major challenge, stating that owning its network infrastructure would improve accountability, especially during technical disruptions.
During the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said INEC’s sensitive mandate should exempt it from external budgeting constraints. He urged lawmakers to abandon the envelope budgeting model and align with the commission’s financial request to prevent underfunding.
Similarly, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge, as provided by the Constitution, to allow full and timely release of funds ahead of the 2027 elections.
The joint committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of INEC’s annual budget. Lawmakers also said they would consider the NYSC’s request for about ₦32 billion to increase allowances for corps members to ₦125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Simon Lalong, assured that the National Assembly would support the commission to ensure the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, cautioned INEC against making commitments it may not be able to fulfil, recalling assurances made during the 2023 elections about real-time result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“IReV was not even provided for in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
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