Citizen Monitors, a civil society organisation focused on technology and election integrity, has faulted the proposed ₦1.01 trillion budget for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, insisting that such a huge allocation must be backed by full transparency, accountability and clear performance benchmarks.
In a statement issued on Monday, the group’s spokesperson, Olajumoke Alawode-James, said the scale of the proposed spending is difficult to justify in a country grappling with economic hardship, insecurity and mounting public debt.
“Elections are a public necessity, not an extravagant project,” she said.
Citizen Monitors argued that without a clear, itemised explanation of how the funds would be deployed to fix longstanding weaknesses in Nigeria’s electoral process, the proposed budget risks becoming wasteful.
“₦1.01 trillion without a transparent, performance-based framework is not reform; it is institutionalised inefficiency,” Alawode-James said, referencing the controversies that trailed the 2023 general elections.
The group recalled that more than ₦300 billion was reportedly spent on the 2023 polls, yet the elections were marred by technological failures, logistical challenges and credibility disputes. It noted that Nigerians are still waiting for a comprehensive public audit of that expenditure.
“Before citizens are asked to underwrite a ₦1.01 trillion election, they deserve a clear account of what went wrong in 2023, who was responsible and what safeguards will be put in place for 2027,” the organisation stated.
Citizen Monitors warned that escalating election budgets without addressing systemic flaws would not automatically deliver credible elections, stressing that legitimacy is earned through transparency and accountability, not spending volume.
The organisation called for a forensic audit of 2023 election spending, a detailed and publicly accessible breakdown of the proposed 2027 election budget, clearly defined performance indicators tied to funding, independent oversight by civil society groups and open access to polling-unit results and procurement data.
“At a time when many Nigerians can barely afford food, fuel and education, spending ₦1.01 trillion on an election that may still fall short of credibility expectations is not just irresponsible; it is morally indefensible,” the statement said.
Citizen Monitors emphasised that credible elections depend on trust, data integrity and accountability, not on headline budget figures.
“If INEC and the political class truly want public confidence, they must open their books, publish the data and demonstrate that every naira spent will translate into verifiable, auditable votes,” the group added.
The concerns were raised against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s 2026 budget proposal, which contains significant provisions for preparations toward the 2027 general elections.
Details from the 2026 Appropriation Bill released by the Budget Office of the Federation show that the Independent National Electoral Commission was allocated ₦1.013 trillion—one of the largest allocations in the commission’s history—to cover election-related preparations.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier presented a ₦58.18 trillion budget to the National Assembly, tagged Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity, projecting total revenue of ₦34.33 trillion and total expenditure of ₦58.18 trillion, including ₦15.52 trillion earmarked for debt servicing.
The size of the INEC allocation has continued to attract public scrutiny as Nigeria battles economic pressures, rising debt obligations and competing demands for limited public funds.
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