2027: Non-Release Of N371bn To INEC Threatens Polls

ABUJA — With 111 days to the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, concerns are mounting over the non-release of the balance of about N371 billion of the N873.78 billion budget projected for the polls, with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warning that sustained funding is critical to effective planning, logistics and security.

Although INEC received about N500 billion, representing more than half of its election budget, in June, the commission still requires the outstanding funds to complete procurement and other critical preparations for the elections.

The funding gap has assumed greater significance because several activities, including the production and collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, procurement of electoral materials, deployment of technology, payment of contractors and nationwide logistics, require timely financial commitments.

Budget breakdown

The commission had proposed N873.78 billion for the 2027 general elections, comprising about N379.75 billion for election operations, N92.31 billion for administration, N209.21 billion for technology, N154.91 billion for election capital expenditure and about N42.61 billion for miscellaneous expenses.

The issue of funding has, therefore, moved beyond the question of whether money has been released to INEC to how quickly the remaining funds will be made available and how the commission is deploying or deployed the N500 billion already released.

This is because the January 16 presidential and National Assembly elections are the first leg of the 2027 general elections, with the governorship and state House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6.

Questions over N500bn utilisation

While the release of more than N500 billion has eased some of INEC’s earlier funding concerns, it has also raised questions among stakeholders about the utilisation of the money and the extent to which the expenditure has translated into completed electoral preparations.

Among the issues requiring clarification are the amounts already committed to procurement; payments made to contractors; funds earmarked for PVC production and distribution; expenditure on BVAS and other technology; logistics and transportation; staff training; voter education; and other election-related commitments.

The questions do not, in themselves, establish any wrongdoing. Rather, they underline the need for INEC to provide stakeholders with a clear picture of how the first tranche has been deployed, what obligations remain outstanding and what activities are awaiting the release of the balance.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, had disclosed that the commission had late June received more than N500 billion, representing over half of the funds required for the 2027 elections.

Haruna, while acknowledging outstanding financial obligations, said INEC still had debts from previous elections, including about N6 billion owed contractors and more than N140 billion outstanding from its statutory allocation for the previous election cycle.

He also said the commission was already undertaking preparatory activities, including efforts to procure additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, devices.

According to him, INEC’s ICT officials had travelled to China to finalise arrangements for the importation of BVAS equipment considered crucial to the electoral process.

“Certainly, we are concerned. Everyone shares this concern. Ultimately, the funds must be available. Therefore, it is encouraging news that more than half has been released,” Haruna said.

The disclosure has made the release of the outstanding N371 billion particularly important because several election preparations have long lead times.

INEC lists progress

Meanwhile, INEC said it had made significant progress in implementing its 14-point timetable for the 2027 elections.

The commission stated this, last Thursday, at a Democracy and Governance Forum in Abuja organised by West Africa Democracy Radio, WADR, under its “Voices for Democracy and Freedoms in West Africa” initiative.

Presenting the paper, “INEC Preparedness for 2027 General Elections,” Director of Planning and Monitoring at INEC, Mrs Helen Ajayi, who represented the commission’s chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the revised timetable was released on February 26, 2026.

She said the timetable covered 14 critical activities and had been translated into a coordinated programme involving INEC’s 23 departments and directorates, 36 state offices, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas.

According to her, the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise and display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections had been concluded.

She added that generation of the nationwide PDF register and synchronisation of CVR data were ongoing.

Ajayi said preparations for the collection of PVCs had commenced, while procurement and distribution of non-sensitive electoral materials to state offices were underway.