The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of ₦873.778 billion for the conduct of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while presenting the Commission’s 2026 budget estimates and projections for the 2027 polls before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.

He clarified that the ₦873.778 billion election budget is separate from the Commission’s proposed ₦171 billion operational budget for 2026, which is intended to cover routine activities, including off-cycle elections and by-elections.

According to the INEC chairman, the projected cost for the 2027 polls does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which is seeking an upward review of allowances for corps members deployed as ad-hoc staff during elections.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Lalong, assured the Commission of the National Assembly’s support, pledging collaboration to ensure the successful conduct of the 2027 general election.

Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Bayo Balogun, promised legislative backing for INEC but cautioned the Commission against making commitments it may be unable to fulfil.

The lawmakers reiterated the importance of adequate planning, transparency and accountability in election funding as preparations gradually begin for the next general election cycle.

There was mild tension at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday following reports that security operatives attempted to detain former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.

Eyewitnesses at the airport claimed that the officers approached the former governor upon arrival, but some bystanders reportedly objected, insisting that any request for his appearance should be conveyed through a formal invitation rather than an on-the-spot arrest.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the attempted detention had not been officially disclosed, and relevant authorities had yet to issue a formal statement clarifying the situation.

Earlier, El-Rufai had indicated in a statement that there were moves to arrest him.

Meanwhile, his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed the incident in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, alleging that security agents tried to take the former governor into custody at the airport. According to him, El-Rufai declined to accompany the officers without a written invitation, after which they allegedly seized his passport from an aide.

“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They however snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote.

No official response had been issued by security agencies at press time, and further details surrounding the development remain unclear.

The Senate Committee on Special Duties has rejected the 2026 budget proposal of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, describing it as inadequate and incomplete, particularly for failing to provide funds for National Honours.

The rejection came during a heated budget defence session chaired by Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (Borno Central), where lawmakers questioned the ministry’s funding structure and performance record.

Minister of Special Duties, Zephaniah Bitrus Jisalo, had just concluded his presentation when senators began raising concerns over what they described as a glaring disconnect between the ministry’s national mandate and its modest financial allocation.

Senator Abdul Ningi criticised what he called the “systematic suffocation” of the ministry through bureaucratic constraints and underfunding. He noted that while N5.2 billion was appropriated for the ministry in 2025, only N1.8 billion had been released.

“Is this ministry meant only to pay salaries?” Ningi queried. “Don’t they have responsibilities to carry out? Why should such an important ministry be treated this way? Bureaucracy in the Ministry of Special Duties has been used as camouflage. Not your fault,” he told the minister.

Drawing laughter from colleagues, Ningi added that some local government councils operate with larger budgets than the entire ministry. He claimed to have personally commissioned projects worth over N17 billion for a single council chairman in Delta State.

Committee Chairman Senator Lawan questioned whether the Federal Executive Council truly regarded the ministry as a strategic national institution or merely an appendage. He expressed concern that out of the N5.2 billion appropriated for 2025, only N1.8 billion was released.

The sharpest criticism, however, centred on the omission of funding for National Honours in the 2026 proposal despite presidential approval for a new batch of awardees.

Senator Onawo described the development as unacceptable, arguing that it would be embarrassing for deserving Nigerians to be denied their honours due to lack of funds to produce medals.

Responding, Minister Jisalo acknowledged the funding constraints and admitted that the ministry currently lacks the resources to produce the honours. He said the ministry was seeking the Senate’s support to address the shortfall.

Lawmakers were further alarmed to discover that of the N240 million released for capital expenditure in 2025, the ministry recorded zero expenditure, zero balance, and no project execution.

Following deliberations, the committee declared the 2026 proposal incomplete and unacceptable, directing the minister to liaise with the Budget Office of the Federation to properly capture allocations for National Honours.

Senator Lawan issued a Monday deadline for compliance, warning that failure to revise the proposal would result in the Budget Office being summoned before the Senate under its constitutional oversight powers.