INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan seeks the release of outstanding funds, saying timely financing is crucial to preparations for the 2027 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission has called for the prompt release of outstanding funds under its 2026 budget, warning that timely financing is essential to completing preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the appeal on Tuesday while addressing a World Press Conference in Abuja, as the commission intensifies preparations for the elections.
Amupitan said the scale of the electoral exercise required strong financial backing and disciplined management of public funds, noting that the Federal Government had continued to release statutory allocations to the commission.
He, however, said INEC was still awaiting the release of the remaining funds approved for its 2026 operations.
“Executing a national election of this magnitude requires robust financial backing and fiscal discipline,” Amupitan said.
“The Federal Government has maintained its commitment to democratic governance through the timely release of statutory budgetary allocations to the commission, operating under a framework of transparent fiscal management.”
He added that funds already released had enabled INEC to meet international vendor obligations, finance critical election technology, upgrade infrastructure and sustain operational deployments across the country.
“However, we expect the prompt release of the remaining budgets to ensure seamless execution of the activities,” the INEC chairman said.
The funding request comes as the electoral commission moves deeper into the final stages of preparations for the 2027 polls.
INEC had initially scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, but subsequently revised the timetable after the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.
Under the revised schedule, the presidential and National Assembly elections will now take place on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
That change has effectively brought the major election deadline closer, increasing the pressure on the commission to complete procurement, logistics, voter registration and technology preparations on schedule.
The financial requirements are substantial.
While defending its 2026 budget before the National Assembly in February, INEC proposed N171 billion for its operations during the fiscal year.
The proposal covered personnel, overheads, election-related activities and capital expenditure.
Separately, the commission estimated that it would require N873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections.
The projected election budget included about N375.75 billion for operational costs, N92.31 billion for administrative expenses, N209.21 billion for technology, N154.90 billion for capital expenditure and more than N41 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
The N873.78 billion election estimate is separate from INEC’s 2026 operating budget.
The commission’s funding position has been a recurring issue in its preparations.
In June, INEC said it had not yet received budgetary allocations specifically for the conduct of the 2027 elections, although preparations were continuing according to the electoral timetable.
Beyond financing, INEC is also undertaking major technological and logistical upgrades ahead of the polls.
The commission announced this week that it had acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices.
Amupitan said the existing BVAS machines had also undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration as part of efforts to strengthen accreditation and reduce opportunities for manual manipulation.
INEC has also reported that Nigeria’s national register of voters has risen to more than 103 million following the completion of the latest Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The commission said more than 10.7 million new registrants were captured, subject to final verification.
The commission is scheduled to begin nationwide distribution of Permanent Voter Cards on October 9, according to Amupitan’s latest update.
It has also commenced readiness assessments and early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials.
These preparations are taking place against a compressed electoral calendar, making funding increasingly important to INEC’s ability to meet deadlines for procurement, technology deployment, logistics and voter services.
Amupitan has repeatedly stressed that election preparation cannot be left until polling day is near.
The commission’s earlier budget presentation also emphasised that funding ahead of time was necessary to avoid operational difficulties during the electoral process.
The commission is therefore seeking to secure the remaining 2026 funds while simultaneously preparing for a much larger 2027 election expenditure.
For INEC, the immediate concern is not simply the total amount required for the elections but the timing of when the money becomes available.
With the presidential and National Assembly elections now scheduled for January 16, 2027, delays in releasing approved funds could affect the commission’s ability to complete time-sensitive procurement and operational activities.
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Amupitan’s appeal therefore places funding alongside technology, logistics and voter management as one of the critical requirements for INEC’s final preparations for the 2027 polls.
