The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has revealed that the commission will require approximately N126 billion to effectively carry out its operations in 2025 and begin preparations for the 2027 general elections.
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Speaking at the National Assembly Complex. While defending INEC’s 2025 budget proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Prof. Yakubu pointed the challenges caused by inadequate funding.
He emphasized that the N40 billion allocated for INEC in the 2025 budget by President Bola Tinubu is insufficient, particularly given the recent increase in the national minimum wage.
The INEC boss Yakubu explained that the N40 billion allocated to INEC in 2024 barely covered salaries, pensions, and other statutory contributions such as those for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
To address this shortfall, INEC secured an additional N10.5 billion from the executive to successfully conduct the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
However, for 2025, Yakubu described the year as a critical period for INEC, with several essential activities demanding attention.
The INEC chairman outlined the commission’s priorities for 2025, including:
“Anambra Governorship Election” Preparations for the election are crucial but are not accounted for in the current budget allocation.
“2026 Area Council Elections. Scheduled for February 2026, preparations for these elections must begin in 2025.”
“Monitoring of Party Primaries and Bye-Elections.” INEC has 11 pending bye-elections due to deaths and resignations, which are not fully funded by the government’s additional N500 million allocation.
“Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)” Yakubu revealed the importance of resuming voter registration in 2025 to ensure its completion by 2026.
“Staffing and Inflation Challenges.” INEC currently employs over 14,700 staff members, excluding political appointees.” The rising cost of living and inflation further enhanced the commission’s financial challenges.
Yakubu pointed out that the allocated budget fails to reflect the reality of inflation and increased operational demands.
