By John Joseph
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it requires N126 billion to fund its activities in 2025 and begin preparations for the 2027 general elections. This was disclosed by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while defending the Commission’s 2025 budget proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. According to Yakubu, the N40 billion proposed for INEC in the 2025 budget proposal by President Bola Tinubu is inadequate, considering the payment of salaries and allowances for the year, given the recent increase in the minimum wage. He noted that INEC has over 14,700 staff members, apart from political appointees affiliated with the commission, and has to maintain over 850 buildings across the country, including offices in the 8,809 wards, 774 local government areas, 36 state offices, and the Federal Capital Territory. INEC has to prepare for the Anambra governorship election later in the year, which is not provided for in the budget. The Commission has to prepare for the conduct of the Area Council elections scheduled for February 2026, which is also not in the budget. INEC has to commence the continuous voter registration exercise, which has not started due to lack of funds. The Commission has to begin the redistribution of voters to polling units from those that are overpopulated. Yakubu lamented that despite the inflationary trend in the country, the Commission is still being allocated N40 billion without consideration of the increase in the minimum wage. He also disclosed that INEC has lost about 440 BVAS machines since the conduct of the 2023 general election and plans to replace them. Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT) urged the parliament to ensure adequate funding for INEC to enable it to discharge its responsibility to the nation. She emphasized that INEC must be independent and that whatever needs to be done to get funding for the commission must be done. A member of the House of Representatives, Adeboye Paul, noted that the current system is dangerous and that the local government’s supplementation of funds is not good for democracy. He advocated for deliberation on how best to assist the commission and save Nigeria’s democracy._
INEC Seeks N126 Billion for 2025 Operations and 2027 Election Preparations.
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