The Independent National Electoral Commission has called on the Federal Government to promptly release outstanding funds under its 2026 budget, warning that timely financing is essential to the smooth implementation of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the appeal on Tuesday while addressing a World Press Conference on the commission’s preparations for the elections.
Amupitan said the scale of preparations required “robust financial backing and fiscal discipline”, noting that the Federal Government had continued to release statutory budgetary allocations to the commission.
He, however, stressed the need for the remaining funds to be released without delay to prevent disruptions to the commission’s activities.
“The Federal Government has maintained its commitment to democratic governance through the timely release of statutory budgetary allocations to the commission, operating under a framework of transparent fiscal management,” Amupitan said.
He explained that the funds already released had enabled INEC to meet international vendor obligations, finance the production of critical election technology, upgrade its fiscal infrastructure and sustain multi-stakeholder operations across the country.
“However, we expect the prompt release of the remaining budgets to ensure seamless execution of the activities,” the INEC chairman added.
The commission’s appeal comes amid its preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential election scheduled for January, and growing attention on the financial requirements for conducting the polls.
While defending INEC’s 2026 budget before the National Assembly in February, Amupitan disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Finance had provided a budget envelope of N140 billion, while the commission’s total proposed expenditure for the year stood at N171 billion.
The proposed 2026 expenditure comprised N109 billion for personnel costs, N18.7 billion for overheads, N42.63 billion for election-related activities and N1.4 billion for capital expenditure.
INEC has also projected that N873.78 billion will be required to conduct the 2027 general elections.
The commission’s projected election budget includes N379.75 billion for operational costs, N92.32 billion for administrative expenses, N209.21 billion for technology, N154.91 billion for election-related capital expenditure and N42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
The issue of adequate and timely funding has remained a recurring concern in INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with the commission stressing that financial readiness is critical to delivering a credible and seamless electoral process.
