The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of ₦126 billion for 2025, thrice the amount of last year.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, presented this proposal to the National Assembly on Friday.
He said the Commission needed adequate funding to carry out its constitutional mandate of conducting elections.
“Our proposal for 2025; the Commission requires the sum of ₦126 billion. So, we will like the support of the National Assembly members to ensure that we are adequately funded for the responsibilities we are required to discharge, and most of these responsibilities are constitutional; they are not just in the Electoral Act,” Prof Yakubu said.
Prof. Yakubu agreed that the cost of running elections in Nigeria was high, describing it as “exorbitant and burdensome.“
He said that INEC only received ₦40 billion last year, much lower than the ₦80 billion they initially requested.
He stressed that limited funding makes it hard for INEC to do its job well.
To tackle these problems, he suggested that lawmakers organize a retreat. This would help the legislature and INEC collaborate and find solutions for the electoral process.
“We need a major conversation,” he said. “The commission cannot continue holding elections all year round.”
Prof. Yakubu also discussed the poor condition of INEC’s facilities. According to the chairman, its 860 buildings nationwide urgently need repair.
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