PAACA Cautions Against Slashing INEC’s 2025 Budget Proposal

The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA) has cautioned the National Assembly against unnecessary cuts in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed N126 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year, emphasising that such cuts would undermine the commission’s ability to conduct credible elections.

While supporting the electoral commission’s proposed N126 billion budget, PAACA said the proposed budget reflects the reality of electoral management in Nigeria, including funding for off-cycle elections, voter registration, and replacement of damaged materials.

In a statement released in Abuja, PAACA executive director Ezenwa Nwagwu commended INEC for its transparency in presenting its financial needs and detailed breakdown of planned expenditures to the National Assembly.

The statement comes amid ongoing debates in the National Assembly over INEC’s budget proposal. The Commission emphasised the need for robust funding to meet the rising costs of election administration in Nigeria.

The PAACA boss noted that the proposed N126 billion budget reflects the reality of electoral management in Nigeria, including funding for off-cycle elections, voter registration, and the replacement of damaged materials.

He said, “The challenge is that 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.

“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, let’s consider the recent minimum wage increment announced by the Federal government and its consequential adjustment in line with the NSIWC Circular. You can imagine how much of the budget will go into the payment of salaries. The personnel cost is already taking up 85 billion of the budget.  We are also screaming for INEC to train its personnel and embark on voter education, which requires 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 the FCT area council election in 2025. These require significant financial resources for preparation and execution.

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

“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 also threaten 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 centres nationwide. This critical exercise ensures that eligible voters who have turned 18 are not disenfranchised.”

Ezenwa explained that the current inflation in the country has affected the cost of running and managing elections.

He further 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 elections.

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

The organisation also called on the National Assembly to approve the proposed budget without unnecessary cuts, noting that INEC’s financial needs are critical for strengthening democracy in Nigeria.

“As citizens, we must recognise that credible elections are the backbone of good governance. Supporting INEC with adequate funding is not just a financial obligation but a commitment to safeguarding our democratic processes,” PAACA concluded.