The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking a court order compelling the electoral body to investigate allegations that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted about N800 billion in public funds for political and campaign purposes.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to reports cited by SERAP, APC governors allegedly made monthly contributions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations into a dedicated campaign fund to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
In the suit, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and determine whether any provisions of the Electoral Act relating to political financing were breached.
The organisation is also seeking an order compelling INEC to require full disclosure from the APC and the affected governors regarding any contributions made to the alleged campaign fund, including the identities of donors and the lawful sources of the funds.
SERAP further asked the court to direct the electoral commission to initiate a formal review and investigation into compliance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act by all political parties and candidates, particularly regarding the sources and scale of campaign financing in the current political cycle.
In the suit, filed on its behalf by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, SERAP argued that the allegations raise serious concerns about political finance transparency, electoral fairness, and the constitutional rights of Nigerians to participate freely in the democratic process.
According to the organisation, opaque political financing remains a major avenue for corruption, state capture, and undue influence in elections. It added that Nigerians have the right to know who finances political parties and candidates, as well as the sources of such funding.
SERAP maintained that the alleged diversion or opaque use of public funds poses a grave threat to the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
It argued that the scale of the alleged financial transactions, combined with weak transparency and oversight mechanisms, provides sufficient grounds for INEC to activate its constitutional and statutory powers to investigate and monitor political financing.
The organisation also contended that political finance in Nigeria continues to suffer from limited transparency, inadequate disclosure, and weak enforcement, creating opportunities for the misuse of public resources for political purposes.
Citing Section 91 of the Electoral Act, SERAP argued that INEC has the statutory responsibility to regulate political donations, require disclosure of campaign contributions and their sources, and enforce sanctions against violations.
The group noted that the law prescribes penalties for individuals and political parties that exceed donation limits, including fines, forfeiture of excess funds, and other sanctions upon conviction.
According to SERAP, the commission has constitutional and legal obligations to ensure that no individual or political party exceeds prescribed contribution limits, directly or indirectly, while guaranteeing transparency in political financing.
The organisation further argued that where allegations exist that state-derived or publicly controlled funds may have been channelled into political activities outside lawful procedures, such circumstances fall squarely within INEC’s investigative mandate under the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
SERAP accused the commission of failing to proactively enforce constitutional and statutory provisions governing political finance, thereby undermining public confidence in electoral institutions.
The group also relied on Sections 13, 14(2)(c), and 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that they impose obligations on public institutions, including INEC, to ensure democratic participation, prevent corruption, and uphold constitutional principles.
It further cited Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, arguing that Nigeria’s international obligations require transparency and accountability in political financing.
According to SERAP, any use of public funds for political advantage would undermine electoral fairness, distort political competition, and erode citizens’ ability to freely choose their representatives.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
