Major political parties have warned that the delay in the release of funds to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 general elections may undermine election preparations and the credibility of the polls.
The African Democratic Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and Nigeria Democratic Congress said delayed funding could disrupt key procurement timelines, erode public confidence in the electoral process and ultimately threaten the smooth conduct of the 2027 elections.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission dismissed the concerns, stating that it remained financially on track and that preparations for the elections were progressing according to schedule.
This was as the ruling All Progressives Congress also backed the commission, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu would ensure the timely release of the resources needed to conduct free, fair and credible polls.
The concerns followed Thursday’s disclosure by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, who stated that the commission had yet to receive budgetary releases for the 2027 general elections.
Haruna, who spoke during a cross-sectoral interactive session organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Abuja, however added that the commission had already commenced preparations in line with the Electoral Act.
He explained that while the law provides that election funds should be released not later than six months before the general election, INEC had begun arrangements for the procurement of critical election materials, including new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines to replace devices that were damaged, lost or not recovered after previous elections.
