The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seven days to account for over N126.46 billion in electoral funds allegedly diverted, lost, irregularly expended or otherwise unaccounted for, threatening to drag the commission to court if it fails to act.
SERAP said the huge financial discrepancies were contained in the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which, according to the organisation, was published on August 7, 2026.
In a strongly worded letter dated September 12 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP demanded that INEC account for every naira involved, identify the beneficiaries of the payments and produce evidence showing that the goods and services for which the funds were released were actually procured and utilised.
The organisation specifically demanded details of the contracts, procurement processes, contractors, suppliers and consultants involved in the transactions, as well as the present location and status of electoral materials and assets said to have been procured.
SERAP also asked INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to immediately refer the alleged financial infractions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation, prosecution and recovery.
The organisation said the audit findings raised serious questions over the management of billions of naira earmarked for Nigeria’s electoral system.
At the centre of the controversy, according to SERAP, is N112.15 billion which the Auditor-General reportedly found INEC had “irregularly paid” for ballot boxes, electoral devices, items and materials without competitive bidding or a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
SERAP said the Auditor-General found no evidence that the items were procured and reported that the contracts were awarded to companies whose competence, experience, capacity, addresses and factory locations were unknown.
The Auditor-General, it added, expressed concern that the money “may have been diverted” and recommended its recovery.
The organisation further alleged that INEC paid N1.058 billion for Toyota Prado TXL 2021 Model vehicles without advertisement, competitive bidding, bid evaluation or a BPP Certificate of No Objection.
According to SERAP, the Auditor-General warned that the money might have been lost and that the contracts might have been inflated.
Another N3.136 billion was allegedly paid to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded, with SERAP saying the Auditor-General raised concerns that the money might have been diverted and recommended its recovery and remittance to the Treasury.
SERAP also alleged that INEC paid N9.245 billion for 22 contracts involving similar goods and services, with the contracts allegedly split and awarded on the same day to circumvent procurement procedures.
The Auditor-General, according to SERAP, expressed concern that the funds might have been lost and that payment could have been made for items that were never supplied.
The audit findings also allegedly
exposed N129.3 million paid to 19 accounting firms for financial audit services without evidence of utilisation, requests or expenditure by the consultants.
Similarly, SERAP said N504.49 million was paid for accreditation devices without due procurement process, while the Auditor-General reportedly found that the APG had expired before the security licence key was delivered and that the software was valid for only four months.
Another N235.1 million was allegedly paid to contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving, despite what the Auditor-General described as serious concerns over the eligibility and capacity of the contractors.
SERAP said the revelations were particularly troubling because the funds were public resources appropriated 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.
SERAP demanded that INEC produce documentary and physical evidence that the N112 billion described as “irregularly paid” was actually used to procure the electoral materials in question and account for their current location and condition.
It also warned INEC against disposing of, transferring, destroying, writing off or otherwise dealing with any electoral equipment, materials or public assets covered by the audit findings in a manner that could frustrate accountability or recovery.
The organisation wants investigations to determine whether the goods and services were actually supplied, whether payments matched what was delivered and whether contracts were deliberately split to evade procurement requirements.
SERAP further called for officials, contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants found culpable to be identified and made to face appropriate sanctions, with all recoverable public funds returned to government coffers.
It argued that the alleged infractions amounted to a possible violation of the 1999 Constitution, national anti-corruption laws and Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The organisation also cited constitutional provisions requiring public institutions to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of power, insisting that Nigerians have a right to know how funds entrusted to INEC are spent.
“Democracy requires an informed citizenry,” SERAP said, stressing that citizens are entitled to know how resources provided for the conduct of elections have been utilised.
The organisation gave INEC seven days from receipt or publication of its letter to take the demanded steps.
It warned that failure to respond within the deadline would leave SERAP with no option but to “take all appropriate legal actions” to compel INEC to comply in the public interest.
