We need N126b to run in 2025, INEC tells NASS

No discrepancies in 2023 presidential election results – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday, told the National Assembly that the N40 billion budget allocated to it for the 2025 fiscal year is grossly inadequate.

The commission said instead, N126 billion is what is needed to fund its activities in 2025. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, raised the concern in Abuja during the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters on the 2024 budget defence and 2025 budget proposal for the Commission.

Yakubu explained that the N40 billion being proposed for the Commission in the 2025 budget presented to the National Assembly by the president would not be enough to cover its activities, including salaries and allowances for the year in view of the recent increase in minimum wage.
He said the year 2025 was a very critical year for the Commission.

“We have the Anambra governorship election coming up later in the year. Provision for preparation for that election is not in the budget. We must prepare for the conduct of the Area Council elections scheduled for February 2026 and the budget for that election is not in this budget. We must monitor party primaries for these elections, including the conduct of bye elections and the budget for that is not in the current budget,” Yakubu said.

He explained that in 2024, the commission was also allocated the same N40 billion, which only covered salaries and some social contributions such as NHIS contributions, pension, ITF among others.

“We complained about the allocations and you asked what we thought would be adequate. We made a proposal of N80 billion then. We are aware that you made efforts to ensure an increase, but that did not work.

“On our part, we made efforts and approached the Executive for more funds and we were able to get about N10.5 billion from the Executive to take care of the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections. That was why we were able to conduct those elections and come out successful,” he said.

The INEC Chairman also disclosed that the Commission planned to replace some of its items such as BVAS machines, voting cubiciles and other materials.
Reacting to the presentation by the INEC Chairman, Senator IretiKingible said the National Assembly must look for ways to get enough funding for the Commission if it must discharge its responsibility diligently and save the nation’s democracy.