The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, with major spending planned for operations, technology, administration and capital projects.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday during a budget defence session before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly.
He explained that preparations for the 2027 polls were already underway, in line with legal provisions requiring election funding to be approved at least 360 days before the exercise.
The session was chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong alongside his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Adebayo Balogun.
According to Amupitan, early appropriation is critical to ensure effective planning and smooth execution of the nationwide electoral process.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that election operations will take the largest share at N375.75 billion, covering core activities directly tied to the conduct of the polls.
Administrative expenses are projected at N92.31 billion, while N209.21 billion is earmarked for election technology, reflecting the commission’s continued reliance on digital and tech-driven systems.
INEC also proposed N154.90 billion for capital expenditure.
The four key components total N832.17 billion, with an additional N41.61 billion set aside for miscellaneous expenses, bringing the overall proposed budget for the 2027 elections to N873.78 billion.
Amupitan noted that the capital component is higher than in previous election budgets, explaining that several capital items previously not fully captured have now been consolidated into the 2027 proposal.
He added that detailed cost codes and itemised explanations for the proposed expenditure are contained in the supporting document submitted to the National Assembly.
