The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has informed the National Assembly that it requires N873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections, while also seeking N171 billion to fund its routine operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure on Thursday during the presentation of the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost of the 2027 elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78 billion election budget will cover the full conduct of the 2027 national polls, while the additional N171 billion is intended for routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections.
He added that the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps for increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
While details of specific line items were not fully presented, Amupitan said the nearly N1 trillion budget is divided into five main components: N379.75 billion for operational costs, N92.32 billion for administrative costs, N209.21 billion for technological costs, N154.91 billion for election capital costs and N42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
The INEC Chairman emphasized that the budget was prepared in accordance with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general elections.
