The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has proposed a total sum of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, presented the proposal on Thursday before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly.
The budget defence session was chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Adebayo Balogun.
Mr Amupitan said preparations for the 2027 polls had commenced in compliance with statutory provisions requiring that election funds be appropriated at least 360 days before the date fixed for the exercise.
He explained that early appropriation was critical to ensure proper planning and seamless execution of the nationwide polls.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that election operations account for the largest share of the budget, with N375.75 billion earmarked for activities directly related to the conduct of the elections.
Administrative costs are projected at N92.31 billion, while N209.21 billion is allocated to election technology, reflecting the commission’s continued reliance on technology-driven processes.
INEC also proposed N154.90 billion for capital expenditure.
The four main components amount to N832.17 billion. In addition, N41.61 billion has been set aside for miscellaneous expenses, bringing the total proposed budget to N873.78 billion.
Mr Amupitan noted that the capital component is significantly higher than in previous election budgets, explaining that several capital items not adequately captured in earlier appropriations have now been consolidated into the 2027 proposal.
He added that detailed breakdowns of the proposed expenditure, including specific activities and cost items, were contained in the document submitted to the National Assembly.