THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented over N1 trillion budget for the 2027 elections and all its operations in 2026.

INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, a professor, announced this while tabling the 2026 budget proposal and expected cost for the 2027 general before the National Assembly Joint committee on Electoral matters.

The commission is demanding N171 billion to provide funding for its activities in the 2026 fiscal year. For the 2027 polls, it proposed N873.78 billion, a major increase from the N313.4 billion allocated for the 2023 general elections.

The ICIR reported that the commission received N313.48 billion from the Federal Government to conduct of the 2023 general elections – an amount it said fell short of the N355.298 billion approved by the National Assembly.

Nigeria will have general elections in 2027, and this year (2026) will see governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, along with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council poll scheduled for February 21, and a few by-elections in some states.

Amupitan itemised the election budget into five key areas, namely operational costs, N379.748 billion; administrative costs, N92.317 billion; technological costs, N209.206 billion; election capital costs, N154.905 billion; and miscellaneous expenses, N42.608 billion.

He stated that the budget conformed to Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, demanding that the commission compiles its election budget at least a year before the general polls.