Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has advocated direct funding for the electoral body from the federation account, saying the move would reinforce its independence and improve the credibility of elections in Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that Amupitan made the proposal while speaking on the commission’s funding structure, arguing that although INEC is financed through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the current arrangement is inadequate for the scale of its constitutional responsibilities. He said placing the commission on the federation account would ensure smoother operations and greater operational efficiency.
The INEC chairman noted that the commission conducts presidential, governorship, national and state assembly elections, continuous voter registration, political party registration and other electoral activities across the country. He added that governorship and state assembly elections cost more to organise than presidential and national assembly polls, making a stronger and more sustainable funding model necessary.
Amupitan also called for further amendments to the Electoral Act to strengthen INEC’s oversight of political parties. He proposed that all disputes involving political parties should be concluded at least one year before general elections to prevent last-minute litigation from disrupting the electoral process.
