The Independent National Electoral Commission has proposed N873.78bn for the conduct of the 2027 general elections and N171bn for its 2026 operations.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, presented the proposal before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters on Thursday, stating that the election budget covers operational, administrative, technological, capital and miscellaneous expenses.
He said the 2026 proposal exceeds the N140bn envelope provided by the Ministry of Finance, arguing that the envelope budgeting model is unsuitable for the commission’s mandate.
Lawmakers pledged support, with the joint committee recommending a one-time release of INEC’s annual budget.
The proposed N873.78bn is significantly higher than the N313.4bn released for the 2023 general elections.
