The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be spending about N355 billion in 2023 for both the general elections and the annual budget of the establishment.
The National Assembly had in 2021, approved N305 billion out of the total sum, for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
The commission had submitted N50 billion budget to the National Assembly for consideration and approval. The N50 billion is an increment of N10 billion compared to the 2022 budget of the commission. Only N40 billion was, however, approved by the National Assembly.
In the 2023 budget submitted to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for approval, N2.6 billion was earmarked for off-season elections such as Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa Governorship elections. The elections for the three states will hold on November 11, 2023, according to the timetable scheduled by the country’s electoral umpire.
According to the INEC document, the N2.6 billion will cater for elections, referenda, and recalls expenses such as operations departmental cost covering printing of ballot papers, result sheets, printing of forms and envelopes, arterials, and supplies.
Logistics expenses, honorarium for officials, supervision, RAC preparation, security/intervention support, among others, election ICT system support, printing of voters register for off-season and bye-elections, election fund management logistics, among others were part of what the budget would be expended on.
In the 2023 budget of the Commission, N50 million will be spent to buy fire fighting equipment, N150 million for motor vehicles, and N250 million to repair offices and residential buildings.
