Financial Autonomy Key To INEC Independence-Amupitan

Morganable politcs/Elections

According to the INEC chairman, while the Nigerian Constitution provides that the commission’s funding should be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the current framework still leaves the electoral body dependent on the traditional appropriation process, thereby limiting its operational independence.

kaNo —

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has stressed that the electoral body cannot achieve full independence without financial autonomy, warning that continued reliance on the conventional budgetary process could undermine its ability to deliver credible elections.

Amupitan made this assertion on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the public presentation of ‘Shadows: Protest Essays on Africa’s Most Consequential Country (1999–2023)’, authored by THISDAY Managing Director, Mr Eniola Bello.

The event, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, brought together policymakers, civil society actors, media practitioners and political stakeholders.

According to the INEC chairman, while the Nigerian Constitution provides that the commission’s funding should be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the current framework still leaves the electoral body dependent on the traditional appropriation process, thereby limiting its operational independence.

“Can INEC truly be independent without financial autonomy? If we are serious about strengthening our institutions and conducting free, fair and credible elections, then financial autonomy is essential,” Amupitan said.

Reliance On Funding Constraint Planning-INEC

He explained that the commission’s reliance on approvals from other arms of government for funding often constrains its planning, logistics and execution of electoral activities.

“The Constitution places INEC’s funding on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and many believe that is sufficient.

However, experience has shown that as long as INEC remains subject to the normal appropriation process and depends on budgetary approvals by other institutions, genuine financial independence remains difficult,” he added.

Amupitan noted that INEC’s responsibilities extend far beyond the conduct of elections, making the need for financial flexibility even more critical.

He listed voter registration, regulation and monitoring of political parties, maintenance of the national voters’ register and organisation of federal and state elections as part of the commission’s core mandates.

He further pointed out that INEC also plays supportive roles in local government elections, adding that the breadth of its duties requires consistent and predictable funding.

“For these reasons, there is a strong case for giving INEC greater operational and financial autonomy to improve efficiency and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process,” he said.

The INEC boss, however, cautioned against viewing electoral credibility as the sole responsibility of the commission, emphasising the collective role of multiple institutions in sustaining democracy.

“When we talk about strengthening institutions, there are several institutions involved in the conduct of elections. Most times, people think only of INEC, but beyond INEC, we also have the media, security agencies, civil society organisations and, indeed, the Nigerian people. The health of our democracy is reflected in the strength of this wider institutional framework,” he said.

Amupitan called for closer collaboration among stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that credible polls can only be achieved through collective effort.

“Therefore, if we truly want the 2027 elections to be free, fair, credible and peaceful, all these institutions must work together,” he added.

Constitution Provides Safeguards For Appointing INEC Chairman-Amupitan

On concerns surrounding the appointment of INEC leadership, Amupitan maintained that the Constitution provides adequate safeguards to ensure transparency and accountability.

He explained that the President appoints the chairman and national commissioners in consultation with the Council of State, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

However, he observed that the effectiveness of these provisions often depends on the integrity and commitment of those implementing them.

“Sometimes, however, the issue is not the law itself but those who operate it,” he said.

The INEC chairman referenced the position of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, who had argued that Nigeria’s democratic challenges stem more from weak adherence to existing laws than from a lack of legal frameworks.

Amupitan also described Bello’s book as an important contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development, noting that it captures the country’s political evolution from the return to civilian rule in 1999 through 2023.

He said the experiences from past elections offer valuable lessons that should inform preparations for future polls.

“Every election teaches us lessons, and every electoral cycle provides an opportunity to improve on the last,” he said.

‎Yiaga Flags Gaps As INEC Assures 2023 Glitches Won’t Recur

Meanwhile, the commission has reassured Nigerians that it has taken steps to address the technical challenges that marred aspects of the 2023 general election, particularly in relation to the electronic transmission of results.

INEC gave the assurance at a policy roundtable on electronic transmission and collation of election results organised in Abuja by Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation focused on electoral reform.

At the event, Yiaga Africa raised concerns over gaps in Nigeria’s electronic results management system despite recent reforms introduced by the Electoral Act 2026.

Presenting a policy brief titled “Securing the Vote through Electronic Transmission and Collation of Election Results,” the organisation’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, acknowledged that the law now makes electronic transmission of polling unit results mandatory.

However, he argued that key aspects of the process remain unclear to the public.

According to Itodo, although polling unit results are uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, the commission’s backend validation procedures are not publicly understood, raising questions about transparency and accountability.

He also noted that only polling unit results, captured in Form EC8A, are available on the portal, while ward-level (Form EC8B) and local government-level (Form EC8C) collation results are not accessible to the public.

This limitation, he said, makes it difficult for citizens and observers to independently verify the collation process across different levels.

Yiaga Africa further expressed concern over the existence of three versions of election results the physical Form EC8A, the scanned image uploaded to the IReV portal and the electronically transmitted record without a clearly established legal hierarchy to resolve discrepancies.

To address these concerns and strengthen public trust ahead of the Osun State governorship election and the 2027 general elections, the organisation made several recommendations to INEC.

These include publishing a comprehensive protocol detailing how results are transmitted from polling units to the IReV portal, disclosing the purpose and duration of backend validation processes, uploading ward and local government collation results, and publishing voter accreditation figures alongside polling unit results.

Yiaga Africa also urged the commission to conduct publicly observable mock exercises before major elections to demonstrate the reliability and transparency of its systems.

The discussions at the roundtable underscored the importance of transparency, accountability and technological efficiency in Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly as the country prepares for another critical electoral cycle.