From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has appealed to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), seeking an increased and consistent funding of the electoral body as a panacea for the Commission’s easy operations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Prof. Amupitan made the appeal yesterday, when he payed a courtesy visit to the Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, in Abuja; where he described the visit as part of ongoing efforts to deepen collaboration between the two federal bodies.
Expressing his deep concern on this, Amupitan said, INEC’s constitutional mandate is to conduct elections for the offices of the President, Vice President, National Assembly, State Governors, State Houses of Assembly, and the Area Councils election of the Federal Capital Territory, as well as continuous voter registration and the registration of political parties among others.
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He noted that the cost of conducting governorship elections alone exceeds the combined cost of Presidential and National Assembly elections, and that the Commission also bears the financial burden of pre-election and post-election matters, including election petitions arising from party primaries.
“Aside, INEC maintains offices across all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, as well as in all 774 local government areas, with the Federal Government currently bearing the full cost of these nationwide operations”, he said.
The INEC Boss who equally stressed the need for improved welfare packages for INEC staff, explained that when competitive remuneration is taken as essential to retaining skilled personnel and sustaining institutional efficiency election errors maybe minimize.
He observed that the Commission had, in recent times, lost some experienced staff to migration, attributing the trend in part to inadequate remuneration, and warned that a widening skill gap could result as more experienced personnel approach retirement.
“I am sure, improved welfare conditions would boost staff morale and strengthen public confidence in the Commission’s electoral outcomes.
“I call on government for an improved infrastructure funding and adequate investment in electoral technology and personnel training. These investments remain vital to safeguarding institutional knowledge within the Commission”.
He however, assured RMAFC Chairman that INEC remained committed to delivering free, fair, transparent and credible elections, while reminding him that the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on 6 February 2027.
Amupitan also disclosed that the Commission will conduct off-cycle governorship election in Osun state on 15 August 2026, saying that, INEC’s most recent Governorship in Ekiti state and bye elections in other states had received commendation locally and internationally.
Responding to the appeal, RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, commended INEC for its consistency, especially in conducting elections since 1999 and pledged the Commission’s support towards ensuring that INEC delivers credible polls in 2027.
He acknowledged the scale of INEC’s responsibilities across the federal, state and local government levels, describing the Commission’s operational demands as enormous given its nationwide presence.
Dr Shehu assured Prof. Amupitan and his team that RMAFC’s doors remain open for continued engagement and collaboration in support of INEC’s electoral mandate.
