The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has sought the support of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for increased and consistent funding to the commission.

He said this would strengthen the commission’s operations ahead of next year’s general election and beyond.

Amupitan said this when he led a team on a visit to the RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, in Abuja.

The INEC chairman said the commission’s constitutional mandate covers the conduct of elections for the offices of the President, the Vice President, the National Assembly, the governors, the Houses of Assembly, and the Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as continuous voter registration and the registration of political parties.

He said the cost of conducting governorship elections alone exceeds the combined cost of presidential and National Assembly elections, while the commission also bears the financial burden of pre-election and post-election matters, including election petitions arising from party primaries. Amupitan explained that INEC maintains offices across the 36 states 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.

The INEC chairman stressed the need for improved welfare packages for the commission’s workers, adding that competitive remuneration remains essential to retaining skilled personnel and sustaining institutional efficiency.

Amupitan announced that in recent times, the commission had lost some experienced workers to migration, attributing the trend partly to inadequate remuneration.

The INEC chairman warned that the commission may suffer a widening skill gap as more experienced personnel approach retirement.

According to him, improved welfare conditions would boost staff morale and strengthen public confidence in the commission’s electoral outcomes and called for improved infrastructure funding and adequate investment in electoral technology and personnel training, stressing that these investments remain vital to safeguarding institutional knowledge within the commission.

He assured the RMAFC that INEC remained committed to delivering free, fair, transparent and credible elections, noting that the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

The INEC chairman also stated that the commission will conduct off-cycle governorship election in Osun State on August 15, adding that INEC’s most recent governorship election in Ekiti State and bye-elections in other states had received commendations locally and internationally.

RMAFC’s Chairman, Dr. Shehu, praised INEC for its consistency in conducting elections since 1999 and pledged the commission’s support towards ensuring 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.

He assured Amupitan and his team that RMAFC’s doors remained open for continued engagement and collaboration in support of INEC’s electoral mandate.

The INEC chairman was accompanied by National Commissioners, the Secretary of the Commission, technical aides and directors, while the RMAFC chairman hosted the delegation alongside the Vice Chairman, commissioners, and senior directors of the commission. (The Nation)