SERAP Gives INEC 7-Day Ultimatum to Account for ₦126bn ‘Diverted’ Electoral Funds

By Peter Emmanuel |

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seven days to account for more than ₦126.46 billion in public funds appropriated for electoral operations but allegedly diverted, lost, mismanaged or otherwise unaccounted for.

SERAP said the funds covered 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 required for the conduct and administration of elections.

The organisation made the demand in a letter dated September 12, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

According to SERAP, the concerns were raised in the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026. The organisation said the audit findings covered various periods between January and December 2022 and, in some cases, extended to December 31, 2023.

SERAP urged INEC to provide details of the amounts paid, beneficiaries, contracts and procurement processes, contractors and suppliers involved, as well as evidence showing the delivery, utilisation and current status of the goods, services and electoral assets concerned.

SERAP Demands Account of ₦126bn Electoral Spending

SERAP said INEC must account for the funds and demonstrate that public resources appropriated for electoral administration were spent lawfully and for the purposes for which they were approved.

The organisation said the Auditor-General’s findings included more than ₦112.15 billion which was allegedly paid for ballot boxes, electoral devices, items and materials without competitive bidding or a Bureau of Public Procurement Certificate of No Objection.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General reported that there was no evidence that the items were procured and raised concerns about contracts allegedly awarded to companies whose competence, experience, capacity, addresses and factory locations were unknown.

SERAP said the Auditor-General consequently expressed concern that the money may have been diverted and called for its recovery.

The organisation urged INEC to provide documentary and physical evidence showing that the more than ₦112 billion identified as irregularly paid was actually used to procure the electoral materials concerned and to account for the present location and status of those materials.

Auditor-General Flags Irregular Payments and Procurement Breaches

SERAP also cited the Auditor-General’s findings concerning a payment of more than ₦1.05 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 expressed concern that the money may have been lost and that the contracts may have been inflated.

The organisation further cited an alleged payment of more than ₦3.13 billion to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded. SERAP said the Auditor-General raised concerns that the money may have been diverted and called for its recovery and remittance to the treasury.

Another set of transactions cited by SERAP involved more than ₦9.24 billion paid for 22 contracts for similar goods and services. The organisation said the Auditor-General found that the contracts were split to circumvent procurement procedures and were awarded on the same day.

SERAP also cited payments of more than ₦129 million to 19 accounting firms for financial audit services without evidence of utilisation or requests and expenditure by the consultants, as well as more than ₦504 million for accreditation devices allegedly procured without due process.

The organisation said the Auditor-General also raised concerns over more than ₦235 million allegedly paid to unqualified contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving, with concerns about the eligibility and capacity of the contractors involved.

SERAP Urges EFCC, ICPC Probe Into Alleged Financial Misconduct

SERAP urged Professor Joash Amupitan and INEC to refer the alleged diversion, unlawful expenditure, procurement violations and other financial misconduct documented by the Auditor-General to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The organisation called for investigations to 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 circumvent procurement requirements.

SERAP also urged INEC to identify the public officials, contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants responsible and take steps to recover any public funds found to have been unlawfully or irregularly paid, lost, diverted or paid for goods and services that were not supplied or properly utilised.

The organisation said any referral to the EFCC and ICPC should cover contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants who allegedly received irregular payments, as well as INEC officials or other public officials who authorised, processed, facilitated or benefited from the transactions.

SERAP further urged INEC to cooperate with the EFCC, ICPC, Auditor-General, Attorney-General of the Federation and other competent authorities where investigations establish that public funds were unlawfully received or expended.

Rights Group Threatens Legal Action Over Seven-Day Deadline

SERAP said electoral resources are public resources and that 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 Nigerians have a right to know how public resources entrusted to INEC for the conduct of elections have been used, adding that transparency in electoral spending is important to an informed citizenry and public confidence.

SERAP also urged INEC to ensure that no electoral equipment, material or other public asset covered by the Auditor-General’s findings is disposed of, transferred, destroyed, written off or otherwise dealt with in a manner that could frustrate accountability or recovery while reconciliation and investigations are ongoing.

The organisation cited constitutional provisions requiring public institutions to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of power, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

SERAP gave INEC seven days from receipt or publication of its letter to take the recommended measures.

It warned that if it did not receive a response within the deadline, it would take what it described as “all appropriate legal actions” to compel INEC to comply with its requests in the public interest.