Abuja — A fresh wave of controversy swept through the National Assembly on Thursday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented a proposed ₦873.8 billion budget for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, unveiled the figure while defending the Commission’s 2026 appropriation before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, stressing that the election budget is distinct from the Commission’s ₦171 billion proposal for the 2026 fiscal year.
The announcement immediately drew sharp reactions from lawmakers, with questions raised over specific line items and the overall cost of conducting the polls.
Breakdown of the Proposal
According to Prof. Amupitan, the ₦873.8 billion is structured to cover:
₦375 billion for election operational costs
₦92 billion for administrative expenses
₦209 billion for election technology
₦154 billion for capital expenditure
₦41 billion for miscellaneous costs
He explained that the submission aligns with the provisions of the Electoral Act, which mandates that election-related appropriations be presented to the National Assembly at least 360 days before the polls.
For the 2026 fiscal year, INEC is proposing ₦171 billion to fund personnel, overhead costs, by-elections and off-cycle governorship polls.
Billions for Materials, Logistics
Under operational costs, ₦318 billion is earmarked for the production of election materials. This includes ₦37 billion for ballot papers, ₦23 billion for result sheets, ₦16 billion for non-sensitive materials and ₦16 billion for election management forms.
The Commission also proposed ₦29 billion for Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), particularly for voter revalidation aimed at strengthening the integrity of the voters’ register.
A further ₦7 billion is allocated for the storage and logistics of sensitive materials at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices nationwide.
Technology, PVCs and Capital Projects
In the area of technology, ₦1.3 billion is budgeted for ICT-related expenses, including upgrades to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and the Hybrid e-EC8A Result Management System.
INEC also plans to spend ₦12 billion on printing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as part of the CVR exercise.
For capital expenditure, the Commission proposed ₦18 billion each for the procurement of ballot boxes and voting cubicles across 176,846 polling units nationwide. Additionally, ₦212 million is budgeted for walkie-talkie communication devices and solar lighting installations in its facilities.
₦630m Medical Allocation Sparks Heated Exchange
However, it was a ₦630 million allocation for annual medical check-ups for political office holders that ignited the fiercest debate during the session.
Hon. Moses Fayinka, representing Mushin II Federal Constituency of Lagos State, queried the rationale behind the provision, arguing that it required further clarification.
Responding, Prof. Amupitan explained that the budget template was prepared by the Federal Ministry of Finance and that the provision likely covers remuneration-related medical benefits for the INEC Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and National Commissioners.
He cautioned that altering the template could affect the Commission’s access to funding from the Federation Account.
As deliberations continue, the proposed ₦873 billion election budget is expected to undergo rigorous legislative scrutiny, setting the tone for debates ahead of the 2027 general elections
