INEC chair seeks more funding for elections

…Says guber polls costlier than presidential, NASS pollsBy Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has disclosed that the cost of conducting governorship elections alone exceeds the combined cost of Presidential and National Assembly elections, appealing to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, for increased and consistent funding ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Prof. Amupitan, who stated this during a courtesy call on the RMAFC Chairman, Dr Mohammed Shehu, in Abuja yesterday, described the visit as part of ongoing efforts to deepen collaboration between the two federal bodies.

INEC in its daily bulletin said INEC’s constitutional mandate covered the conduct of elections for the offices of the President, Vice President, National Assembly, state governors, state houses of assembly, and the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, as well as continuous voter registration and the registration of political parties.

According to him, the commission also bears the financial burden of pre-election and post-election matters, including election petitions arising from party primaries.