The Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed that it is yet to receive the full funds required for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, with about five months remaining before the first round of voting.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja.
Eta-Messi said the commission had so far received 60 per cent of the funds approved for the 2027 elections, while the outstanding amount was still being awaited.
She explained that the commission was expecting a total election budget of about N873.78 billion to organise the 2027 polls.
The official’s disclosure comes despite provisions in the Electoral Act 2026 requiring funds meant for general elections to be released to INEC no later than six months before the election.
The law states that funds due to the commission for a general election should be made available within the stipulated period to allow adequate preparation for the polls.
Eta-Messi also said discussions were still ongoing over a proposal by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, for the commission’s funding to be taken directly from the Federation Account.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, separately confirmed that the commission had received only part of its 2027 election allocation.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Assembly elections are expected to take place on February 6, 2027.
INEC had proposed N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The proposed funds cover election operations, administration, technology and capital expenditure, among other requirements.
Presenting the proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters of the National Assembly in February, Amupitan said the commission had prepared the budget in line with the Electoral Act.
The largest allocation, N375.75 billion, was earmarked for election operations.
Election administration was allocated N92.31 billion, while N209.21 billion was proposed for electoral technology.
Another N154.90 billion was set aside for capital expenditure, with N41.01 billion provided for miscellaneous expenses.
The total proposed allocation therefore stands at N873,778,401,602.08.
Amupitan clarified that the election budget was separate from INEC’s 2026 budget of N171 billion, which covers the commission’s regular activities as well as by-elections and other off-cycle elections.
He also said the proposed 2027 election budget did not include a separate request from the National Youth Service Corps for increased allowances for corps members who would serve as ad-hoc election personnel.
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The issue of funding has also renewed calls by INEC for changes that would provide the commission with greater financial independence.
Amupitan has repeatedly argued that the current funding arrangement does not give the electoral body the level of financial autonomy required to operate efficiently.
In a July 28 statement, the INEC chairman called for constitutional and electoral reforms that would strengthen the commission’s financial independence ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said that although the 1999 Constitution places INEC on the first-line charge, the commission still operates within the conventional annual budgetary process.
According to him, this arrangement can create administrative limitations for an institution that needs to plan and execute electoral activities independently.
Amupitan has therefore proposed that INEC’s funding should be drawn directly from the Federation Account.
He argued that such an arrangement would allow the commission to access funds more efficiently and carry out responsibilities such as voter registration, political party regulation and election management without unnecessary delays.
The commission has also sought increased and sustained funding from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
During a visit to the commission in Abuja on July 14, Amupitan asked RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu, to support improved funding for INEC ahead of the 2027 elections.
He noted that INEC’s responsibilities extend beyond conducting presidential and legislative elections.
The commission also conducts governorship and State Assembly elections, FCT Area Council elections, continuous voter registration and political party registration.
Amupitan said the financial burden of conducting elections had increased considerably, noting that the cost of organising a single governorship election now exceeds the combined cost of presidential and National Assembly elections.
He added that INEC also incurs expenses from pre-election and post-election litigation, including cases arising from political party primaries.
The commission currently maintains offices across all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas, creating a substantial financial burden for its operations.
Amupitan also called for better welfare packages for INEC employees.
He said improved remuneration was necessary to retain experienced personnel, noting that some skilled workers had left the commission for other countries because of poor pay.
According to him, better working conditions would improve staff morale and help strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
The INEC chairman further requested more resources for infrastructure, election technology and staff training.
He said sustained investment in these areas would improve the commission’s capacity and help preserve institutional knowledge as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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