Daid Olatunji
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has given the Independent National Electoral Commission seven days to account for more than N126.46bn in electoral funds allegedly diverted, lost, mismanaged or otherwise unaccounted for.
SERAP’s demand was contained in a letter dated September 12, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan.
The organisation said the financial concerns were contained in findings attributed to the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2023 audited report, published on August 7, 2026.
According to SERAP, the funds were appropriated for various electoral activities, including the procurement of ballot boxes, electoral devices and materials, sensitive materials and result sheets, vehicles, accreditation devices, audit and consultancy services, digital archiving and other goods and services.
The group demanded that INEC provide detailed accounts of the expenditure, including the amounts paid, beneficiaries, contracts awarded, procurement processes followed, contractors and suppliers involved, as well as documentary and physical evidence showing delivery, utilisation and the current status of the items and assets.
A major issue raised by SERAP concerned N112.16bn which, it said, the Auditor-General found had been “irregularly paid” for ballot boxes, electoral devices, items and other electoral materials without competitive bidding or a Bureau of Public Procurement Certificate of No Objection.
SERAP said the audit findings indicated that there was no evidence that the items were actually procured.
It further alleged that concerns were raised over companies awarded the contracts, with questions about their competence, experience, capacity, addresses and factory locations.
The organisation said the Auditor-General consequently expressed concern that the money “may have been diverted” and recommended its recovery.
SERAP urged INEC to produce evidence that the more than N112bn was actually used for the procurement of the electoral materials and to account for the location and current status of the assets.
N1.06bn vehicles, N3.14bn contracts queried
The group also cited an alleged N1.06bn payment for Toyota Prado TXL 2021-model vehicles, saying the procurement was undertaken without advertisement, competitive bidding, bid evaluation or a BPP Certificate of No Objection.
According to SERAP, the Auditor-General raised concerns that the funds might have been lost and that the contracts could have been inflated.
Similarly, N3.14bn was reportedly paid to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded.
SERAP said the Auditor-General expressed concern that the funds might have been diverted.
Another N9.25bn paid under 22 contracts for similar goods and services was also questioned, with the audit report reportedly alleging that the contracts were split to circumvent procurement procedures and awarded on the same day.
The organisation said the Auditor-General raised concerns that payments could have been made for materials that were not supplied.
SERAP further drew attention to N129.38m allegedly paid to 19 accounting firms for financial audit services without evidence of utilisation or requests for expenditure by the consultants.
It also cited N504.49m allegedly spent on accreditation devices without due procurement procedures.
According to SERAP, the Auditor-General questioned the value for money in the transaction after reportedly finding that the accreditation security licence had expired before delivery, while the software was valid for only four months.
Another N235.1m was reportedly paid to contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving, with concerns raised about the qualification and capacity of the contractors involved.
SERAP said the issues were particularly serious because the funds were public resources meant for the administration of Nigeria’s electoral system.
“Electoral resources are public resources. INEC must be able to account for every naira, demonstrate that it was lawfully spent and show that it served the purposes for which it was appropriated,” the organisation said.
Beyond demanding explanations from INEC, SERAP urged Amupitan to refer the alleged financial irregularities to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for investigation, prosecution and recovery where appropriate.
It also demanded that officials, contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants found responsible for any unlawful or irregular transactions be identified.
The organisation called for the recovery of public funds established to have been improperly paid, lost or diverted.
SERAP further urged INEC to ensure that no electoral equipment, materials or other public assets covered by the audit findings are disposed of, transferred, destroyed, written off or otherwise dealt with in a way that could frustrate accountability or recovery pending reconciliation and possible investigations.
It said investigations should determine whether the contracted goods and services were actually supplied, whether payments corresponded with goods and services delivered and whether contracts were deliberately split to evade procurement requirements.
SERAP said Nigerians had a right to know how public resources were being managed, particularly resources committed to the electoral process.
It invoked Sections 15(5) and 13 of the 1999 Constitution, Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Nigerians have a right to know every public act, everything that is done in the public interest, by their public institutions including INEC,” SERAP said.
The organisation warned that if INEC failed to respond to its demands within seven days, it would take “all appropriate legal actions” to compel the commission to comply in the public interest.
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