The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it is yet to receive any budgetary allocation from the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, even as it insists preparations for the nationwide polls are already in progress.
The disclosure was made on Thursday in Abuja by the commission’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Malam Mohammed Haruna, during a cross-sectoral interactive session organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in partnership with Legis360.
Haruna explained that although the commission has not received the funds required to organise the elections, the delay does not violate the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
According to him, the law requires that funds meant for the conduct of a general election be released to the commission no later than six months before the election date, meaning the current situation remains within the legal timeframe.
Despite the pending release of funds, Haruna said INEC has continued to lay the groundwork for the 2027 polls, particularly in the area of election technology and logistics.
INEC Moves To Replace Lost, Damaged BVAS Devices
The INEC commissioner disclosed that the electoral body has already begun preparations to procure new election equipment, including replacements for Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices that were damaged, lost or never recovered after previous elections.
He revealed that the commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) recently returned from China as part of procurement arrangements for the devices.
“Our Director of ICT just returned from China regarding procurement because not all the BVAS devices used during the last general elections were recovered. Orders need to be placed, and these things take time,” Haruna said.
Commission Plans Mock Presidential Election
Haruna also announced that INEC intends to conduct mock presidential election exercises ahead of the 2027 general election.
Also Read: Pete Edochie Pays Emotional Tribute To Alexx Ekubo, Recalls Actor’s Final Plans
According to him, the exercise is designed to test the commission’s technological infrastructure and ensure that the technical challenges experienced during the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in the 2023 presidential election are not repeated.
The planned simulation, he noted, forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the credibility and efficiency of Nigeria’s electoral process.
INEC Proposed ₦873.78bn Budget For 2027 Polls
Meanwhile, INEC had earlier proposed a budget of ₦873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The proposed expenditure covers election operations, procurement of technology, logistics, capital projects and other critical activities required to ensure a credible and successful electoral process across the country.