Governorship elections costlier than presidential polls, says INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has revealed that the financial cost of conducting governorship elections in Nigeria is higher than the combined expenses of the presidential and National Assembly polls. This was disclosed during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday. The visit was part of ongoing measures to strengthen the relationship between the two federal agencies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on the financial requirements of the commission, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that the responsibilities of the electoral body are vast and capital-intensive. The constitutional mandate of the electoral body includes organizing and supervising 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. The commission also manages the continuous voter registration exercise and the registration of political parties across the country.

Furthermore, the chairman explained that the commission carries the heavy financial burden of managing both pre-election and post-election legal matters, which include election petitions that stem from political party primaries. To execute these nationwide duties, the commission maintains administrative offices in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and across all the 774 local government areas, with the Federal Government currently carrying the entire cost of these operations.

Amupitan made a strong case for the upward review of the welfare packages of the commission's employees. He argued that competitive compensation is vital for retaining highly competent professionals and ensuring the overall efficiency of the institution. He lamented that the commission had recently lost some of its experienced personnel to migration, blaming the development on insufficient salaries. The chairman warned that a significant skills gap could hit the agency as many of its senior and experienced staff members draw closer to their retirement. He maintained that better welfare packages would improve employee morale and enhance public trust in the outcome of elections.

In addition to staff welfare, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria advocated more funding for the development of infrastructure, the procurement of modern electoral technology, and the training of personnel. He stressed that these capital injections are necessary to preserve institutional knowledge and bolster operational capacities.

While promising that the commission would remain dedicated to organizing free, fair, transparent, and credible elections, Amupitan outlined the timeline for the upcoming national polls. The presidential and National Assembly elections have been scheduled to hold on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027. He also announced that the commission would conduct an off-cycle governorship election in Osun State on August 15, 2026. He noted that the recent governorship election in Ekiti State, alongside various bye-elections across the nation, had received positive reviews from both domestic and international observers.

In his response, the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, praised the electoral body for its consistency in managing national elections since the return of democracy in 1999. He pledged the readiness of his commission to support the agency in its quest to deliver credible polls in 2027. Shehu admitted that the operational scope of the electoral body is incredibly massive, considering its presence in every part of the country. He assured the delegation led by Amupitan that his commission would keep its doors open for continuous collaboration to help the agency achieve its mandate.