The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected a total of N873,778,401,602.08 for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the Commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the detailed cost estimate for the 2027 elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that Election Operational Costs account for N375,748,195,271.47, while Election Administrative Costs stand at N92,311,591,396.58.
The Commission also projected N209,205,589,977.70 for Election Technology Costs, reflecting provisions for electronic systems and related infrastructure. In addition, Election Capital Costs are estimated at N154,904,529,641.94.
These four components amount to N832,169,906,287.69.
INEC further included Miscellaneous Expenses totalling N41,608,495,314.39, bringing the Grand Total for the 2027 general elections to N873,778,401,602.08.
Amupitan clarified that the election budget is separate from the Commission’s proposed N171 billion allocation for the 2026 fiscal year, which is intended to cover routine operations, including by-elections and off-cycle polls.
He noted that the submission complies with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to present its general election budget at least one year before the poll.
During the session, lawmakers raised concerns over funding mechanisms and the implementation of key provisions of the amended Electoral Act, particularly the electronic transmission of results.
Chairman of the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Samuel Lalong, stated that the National Assembly would thoroughly scrutinise the proposal before approving what it considers adequate for seamless nationwide coverage.
He emphasised that while INEC presents its financial estimates, the constitutional responsibility to approve and appropriate funds rests with the legislature.
The committee also indicated plans to review funding for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to be deployed for election duties, following a request from the scheme for increased financial support.
Under the proposal, each corps member is to receive N127,000, alongside N4,500 for feeding and N5,000 for training over five days.
Approximately 450,000 corps members are expected to be deployed for the forthcoming general election
The proposal comes on the backdrop of the Senate’s amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, which sparked backlash after it initially rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
The controversy began on February 4 when the Senate passed the amendment bill after extensive deliberation. Among other changes, the bill reduced the timeline for INEC to publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.
At the centre of the dispute was Clause 60(3), which sought to compel presiding officers to electronically transmit polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time after completing Form EC8A.
This would have made electronic transmission a legal obligation rather than discretionary.
However, the Senate rejected this clause and retained the existing provision in Section 60(5), which allows INEC to determine how results are transferred.
The decision triggered protests by civil society groups at the National Assembly, led by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and later joined by former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives adopted the clause mandating real-time transmission.
Amid mounting pressure, the Senate held an emergency plenary on Tuesday, February 10, and reversed its earlier position. It approved electronic transmission of results to the IReV portal, while allowing manual collation as a backup in case of technological failure.
The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tahir Monguno and supported by Minority Leader Abba Moro, was passed by voice vote.
The Senate and House of Representatives are expected to harmonise their differing versions of the amendment bill.
