The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Abuja over its alleged failure to investigate claims that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted about N800 billion from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations for political and campaign purposes.
The rights organisation is asking the court to compel INEC to investigate reports alleging that APC governors have been making monthly contributions from their FAAC allocations into a dedicated campaign fund to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, filed last week, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and determine whether there were violations of Nigeria’s electoral laws governing political campaign financing.
The organisation is also asking the court to compel the electoral commission to demand full disclosure from the governors and the APC on the alleged campaign fund, including the identities of contributors and the lawful sources of the funds.
In addition, SERAP wants the court to order INEC to commence a formal review and investigation into compliance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act by all political parties and candidates, particularly regarding the sources, scale and transparency of political and campaign financing ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, argues that the allegations raise serious concerns over political finance transparency, electoral fairness and Nigerians’ constitutional right to freely participate in democratic governance.
According to the organisation, opaque political financing remains a major gateway for corruption, undermines democratic legitimacy and denies citizens the opportunity to know who finances political parties and candidates seeking public office.
SERAP contended that the alleged diversion or opaque deployment of public funds poses a significant threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections and warrants immediate intervention by the electoral commission.
It argued that large-scale public financial flows, coupled with weak transparency and oversight mechanisms, provide sufficient grounds for INEC to activate its constitutional and statutory powers to monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with campaign finance regulations.
The organisation maintained that political financing in Nigeria continues to suffer from limited disclosure and weak enforcement, creating opportunities for the misuse of public resources for partisan political purposes.
SERAP further argued that Section 91 of the Electoral Act empowers INEC to regulate political donations, prescribe contribution limits, demand disclosure of funding sources and impose sanctions for violations.
It noted that the law provides for penalties, including fines of up to N10 million against political parties that exceed prescribed donation limits, forfeiture of excess funds and financial penalties against individuals who make contributions beyond the legal threshold.
According to the suit, the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and international anti-corruption and human rights instruments prohibit the misuse of public resources for political advantage and impose obligations on public institutions to ensure transparency and accountability in campaign financing.
SERAP maintained that INEC has both constitutional and statutory responsibilities to ensure that no political party or candidate exceeds lawful contribution limits and that the origins and scale of political funding are fully disclosed.
The organisation also argued that allegations involving potentially state-derived or publicly controlled funds fall squarely within INEC’s investigative mandate and should not be ignored.
It further contended that the commission’s alleged failure to proactively enforce campaign finance provisions weakens public confidence in electoral institutions and undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.
SERAP cited Sections 13, 14(2)(c) and 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, to support its position that transparency in political financing is fundamental to free, fair and credible elections.
The organisation warned that any diversion of public resources for campaign purposes would distort electoral competition, erode the principle of a level playing field and compromise the ability of citizens to freely choose their representatives.
No date has yet been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
