CITIZEN MONITORS PRESS CENTER:

Lagos, Nigeria — Citizen Monitors, a civic technology and election integrity organisation, has raised serious concerns over the reported ₦1.01 trillion budget for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that the figure is excessive, unjustified, and disconnected from measurable electoral outcomes.

Nigeria is grappling with rising insecurity, failing infrastructure, and severe fiscal strain. In this context, allocating over one trillion Naira to conduct an election demands a level of transparency, efficiency, and accountability that has not been demonstrated.

“Elections are a public service, not a spectacle,” said Olajumoke Alawode-James, spokesperson for Citizen Monitors. “₦1.01 trillion without a clear, itemised and performance-based framework is not reform—it is institutionalised waste. If Nigerians are going to get elections like 2023, where INEC’s result-upload system failed, then this level of spending is indefensible.”

Nigeria spent over ₦300 billion on the 2023 elections, yet the process was marred by technology failures, missing or altered polling unit results, logistical breakdowns, and a credibility crisis that persists today. Despite this, no comprehensive public audit has been released showing how funds were used, what failed, or what has been fixed.

“Before Nigerians are asked to fund a ₦1.01 trillion election, they deserve to know what went wrong in 2023, who was responsible, and what will be done differently in 2027,” the organisation stated.

Citizen Monitors warned that increasing the budget without fixing the systems will not produce credible elections. Across parts of Africa, elections are often used as theatre to legitimise power rather than reflect the will of the people. Nigeria, facing urgent needs in security, jobs, healthcare, and infrastructure, cannot afford to fund elections that merely create the appearance of democracy.

The organisation is calling for:

• A full forensic audit of 2023 election spending
• A public, line-by-line breakdown of the proposed 2027 budget
• Clear performance indicators tied to funding, including secure electronic voting and transparent result transmission
• Independent citizen and civil-society oversight of election spending
• Open access to polling-unit results and procurement data

“At a time when Nigerians are struggling to afford food, fuel, and school fees, spending ₦1.01 trillion on an election that may still fail is not just irresponsible—it is immoral,” Citizen Monitors said.

Credible elections are vital to national stability, but credibility is built on transparency, data, and accountability—not just spending. “If INEC and the political class want public trust, they must open the books, show the data, and prove that every naira will translate into verifiable, auditable votes.”