Is INEC asking too much?
If you thought elections were not that costly, think again.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has just proposed a budget of 209.21 billion Naira to the National Assembly for technological purposes to enhance electoral credibility and transparency in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
That is not the entire budget actually; it is just part of the whooping 873.78 billion Naira budget presented to the National Assembly.
The National Assembly, as usual, is pushing back, ‘bargaining’ for the budget to be redrawn, but the Commission is also not budging, emphasizing the need for efficiency, and any attempts to be ‘economical’ would affect overall efficacy of the electoral process.
With this budget, INEC aims to deploy systems that enhance transparency, result collation, and voter accreditation.
Before judging based on the book cover, let’s consider what INEC intends to do with 209.21 billion Naira. Some of the initiatives of the technology fund include: ⁃ Hybrid e-EC8A and Result Management System -1.215 billion Naira allocated, ⁃ Printing of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) -12.29 billion Naira allocated, ⁃ Election technology upgrades -162.5 million Naira allocated.
INEC has also unveiled some digital tools it aims to incorporate in order to improve election management, including: ⁃ Collation & Returning Officers Management System (CROMS), ⁃ Election Results Management System (ERMS), ⁃ Virtual Election Training System (VETS), ⁃ Political Party Financial Reporting and Audit System (PFRAS), ⁃ Electoral Facility Locator (EFLOC).
While these initiatives demonstrate INEC’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance the electoral process, the budget is still under intense legislative scrutiny. Do you think all these technological initiatives are worth 209.21 billion Naira?
Let us know what you think!
