PAACA backs INEC’s N126bn budget proposal, seeks early release of funds

The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has supported the proposed N126 billion budget requested by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for 2025. 

Earlier this month, INEC asked the national assembly to increase its 2025 budgetary allocation to N126 billion.

Yakubu said the N40 billion proposed by the federal government as the INEC budget for 2025 would not be enough to fund its operations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ezenwa Nwagwu, PAACA executive director, commended INEC for its detailed breakdown of planned expenditures.

Nwagwu said the proposed budget reflects the reality of electoral management in Nigeria, including funding for off-cycle elections, voter registration, and the replacement of damaged materials.

“The challenge is when people look at the budget, what they see is the figure. However, what they fail to see is that the budget has four components — personnel cost, overhead, electoral expenditure and capital projects,” the statement reads.

“INEC currently has 14,786 career staff scattered in all INEC offices in the 774 local government areas across the country.

“The commission also has 51 political appointees which include national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners (REC).

“Now, if we take into consideration the recent minimum wage increment announced by the federal government and its consequential adjustment in line with NSIWC circular, you can imagine how much of the budget will go into payment of salaries.

“The personnel cost is already taking N85 billion of the budget. We are also screaming on INEC to train its personnel and embark on voter education. All of these require funding.

“Also, many Nigerians have misunderstood that 2025 is not an election year. Contrary to that, INEC has 12 off-cycle elections, the Anambra governorship and FCT area council election this 2025. These require significant financial resources for preparation and execution.

“Besides, INEC is responsible for more than just elections every four years. From voter registration and maintenance of polling units to constituency delimitation and political party regulation, the commission’s activities are ongoing.

“Furthermore, Nigeria’s unique electoral challenges, including attacks on electoral facilities, require sustained financial commitment.

“Over 440 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, ballot boxes, and voting cubicles have been destroyed and must be replaced. These are realities and funding shortfalls pose a threat to the integrity of elections.

“In addition to elections, there are numerous electoral activities, including voter registration, the cleaning-up of the voters’ register, voter distribution to polling units etc.

“For instance, INEC is expected to resume continuous voter registration across over 8,800 centers nationwide. This critical exercise ensures that eligible voters who have turned 18 are not disenfranchised.”

Ezenwa said the prevailing inflation in the country has affected the cost of running and managing elections.

He urged the federal government to prioritise the early release of funds to enable INEC to plan and execute electoral activities seamlessly, especially with the Anambra governorship election in the horizon.

“Delays in fund disbursement undermine election preparedness, leading to rushed processes, operational and logistics bottlenecks,” he added.

“Early release of funds will empower INEC to carry out voter registration, rehabilitate its facilities, and ensure adequate preparation for upcoming off-cycle elections.

“We don’t have to wait to blame INEC. If we fail to prepare early, the consequences are always there waiting.”