2027: FG allocates N135bn for Election lawsuits, sparks opposition and Civil society concerns

The Federal Government has proposed N135.22bn in the 2026 budget for “Electoral Adjudication and Post Election Provision,” signalling a multi-billion-naira commitment to managing legal disputes expected to follow the 2027 general elections.

The provision, captured under the Service-Wide Votes, was included in the House of Representatives Order Paper for March 31, 2026, as part of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

The Service-Wide Votes, considered the government’s contingency fund, cover obligations not assigned to specific ministries, departments, or agencies. Within this framework, the N135.22bn line indicates the government anticipates ongoing fiscal pressure from election-related litigation, settlements, and administrative processes.

The budget document places the provision under Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) charges, with the total CRF standing at N3.70tn, meaning the post-election legal line alone accounts for approximately 3.65 per cent of the total.

The allocation coincides with a much larger N1.01 trillion statutory transfer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for 2026, making it the largest recipient of statutory transfers. Statutory transfers are constitutionally guaranteed and released directly from the CRF.

Earlier, INEC had informed the National Assembly that it required N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 elections—a sharp increase from N313.4bn released for the 2023 polls.

Reactions from Political Parties

Opposition parties have raised concerns over the N135.22bn allocation. The National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ini Ememobong, questioned its transparency, suggesting it implies INEC anticipates disputes due to a lack of preparedness for credible elections.

“It means that INEC itself is anticipating that it will not do well and that people will not accept the outcome of the results… If INEC becomes very transparent, post-election litigation will be reduced drastically,” Ememobong said.

Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC National Publicity Secretary, described the amount as excessive and questioned the rationale for such a large budget for election-related legal services.

Expert Opinions

Renowned political economist Prof Pat Utomi questioned why the Federal Government should budget for elections, insisting that candidates—not the government—contest the polls.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) described the N135bn as “excessive and unjustifiable,” noting that INEC’s legal department could handle most cases, with total expenditure on litigation expected to be far below the allocated sum.

Anthony Ubani, Executive Director of #FixPolitics Africa, warned that the allocation signals a lack of trust in election outcomes and undermines public confidence in democracy.

“A credible electoral system should settle outcomes at the ballot box, not in the courtroom… Nigeria must invest more in electoral integrity than in electoral disputes,” Ubani said.

Debo Adeniran, Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, echoed concerns about duplication of responsibilities, noting that INEC already receives substantial funding and should manage legal expenses within its budget.

Auwal Rafsanjani of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre added that the allocation raises fears of premeditated conditions for disputes and stressed that electoral integrity must take priority over litigation preparation.

“Conducting free and fair elections will actually help us to minimise waste and duplication of resources… This is the best way to cure the waste of public taxpayers’ money to pay for electoral disputes,” Rafsanjani said.