Funding Delay May Affect 2027 Polls – INEC
Nigeria’s electoral umpire has not received a kobo of the funds budgeted for the 2027 general elections, even as it races against tight international procurement timelines to replace voting machines lost or damaged in previous polls.
INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed the funding gap on Thursday in Abuja at a session organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in partnership with Legis360. The forum reviewed the just-concluded Ekiti governorship election and the commission’s readiness for 2027.
The stakes are considerable. INEC has proposed N873.78 billion for the 2027 general election, warning that funding constraints could undermine its preparations. Haruna said the commission remained within the legal window, citing the Electoral Act 2026, which requires that election funds be released no later than six months before a general election.
The proposed figure marks a steep climb. The N873.78 billion sought for 2027 represents a sharp increase compared to the N313.4 billion released by the federal government for the 2023 polls. Presented to the National Assembly in February by INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, the request is structured across five components. It earmarks N379.75 billion for core operations, N92.32 billion for administrative activities, N209.21 billion for technology upgrades, N154.91 billion for capital projects, and N42.61 billion for miscellaneous items.
Haruna defended the size of the budget against public criticism. “This N800 billion plus sounds humongous, but when you calculate the average cost per voter, it is about six dollars, which is reasonable for a country such as Nigeria,” he said, noting that imported materials and exchange rate swings drive costs. Nigeria’s electoral infrastructure spans more than 170,000 polling units across difficult terrain, making administration uniquely complex.
The commissioner said the procurement of new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices was already a concern, revealing that the ICT director had returned from China on the matter. “Not all the BVAS devices used during the last general elections were recovered. Orders need to be placed, and these things take time,” he said. INEC also plans mock presidential exercises to avoid a repeat of the technical glitches that hit the IReV portal in 2023.
Haruna flagged conflicting court orders as a recurring threat, recalling injunctions issued 24 to 48 hours before the Ekiti poll that forced last-minute software reconfiguration to admit parties such as the NDC and ADC. He said the commission was engaging judicial authorities, mirroring the approach taken under former chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu before 2023.
On a viral data breach claim, Haruna said an electoral officer who leaked sensitive data over a personal vendetta had been suspended, with the matter reported to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission while police and the DSS investigate.
PAACA Executive Director Ezenwa Nwagwu urged early release of funds, warning that delay breeds a “fire brigade” approach. “Whenever you create an emergency situation, corruption is very close behind,” he said. He stressed that international procurement lead times make timely funding critical, with the cautionary memory of BVAS units damaged by flooding in Edo still fresh.
Haruna rated the Ekiti governorship election a success, with BVAS recording a 98 per cent accreditation rate, but lamented persistent vote buying.