The Federal Government has proposed ₦135.22 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill for “Electoral Adjudication and Post Election Provision.” This new line item aims to cover legal disputes and related obligations expected after the 2027 general elections. It appears under Service-Wide Votes in the Consolidated Revenue Fund charges.

The allocation forms part of the ₦3.70 trillion CRF charges and was included in the House of Representatives Order Paper on March 31, 2026. It did not feature in the initial budget proposal. The funds will support government-wide contingency needs for post-election litigation, settlements, and administrative processes rather than going to a single agency.

This comes alongside a ₦1.01 trillion statutory transfer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for 2026 operations. INEC had requested ₦873.78 billion for the 2027 elections, up from ₦313.4 billion in 2023.

Opposition parties and civil society groups criticised the amount. The PDP said it signals INEC’s fear of disputed results and poor transparency. The ADC called it excessive. Political economist Prof Pat Utomi questioned why the Federal Government should fund cases involving individual candidates. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) described the figure as very high, noting INEC’s in-house legal team and estimating lower actual costs based on past elections.

Civil society organisations expressed concern that the budget suggests premeditated disputes. They urged real-time result transmission and greater transparency to reduce litigation and waste public funds.

The proposal has sparked debate about the cost of democracy and the need for credible elections in 2027. As lawmakers review the 2026 budget, the allocation remains a point of contention.