Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission over alleged irregularities involving more than ₦126.46bn allocated for electoral operations, demanding a full account of how the public funds were spent.
SERAP is asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel INEC to disclose details of the expenditure, including payments for ballot boxes, electoral materials, vehicles, accreditation devices, audit services and consultancy contracts.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2507/2026, was filed last week by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo. The organisation’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. No hearing date has been fixed.
According to SERAP, the allegations stem from the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2023 audited report, published on August 7, 2026. The reported infractions covered transactions between January and December 2022, with some extending to December 31, 2023.
The organisation is seeking an order compelling INEC to provide a comprehensive financial and documentary account of the funds, including amounts released and paid, the identities of payment beneficiaries, details of contractors and their beneficial owners.
SERAP said the Auditor-General identified more than ₦112.15bn in payments for ballot boxes, electoral devices and other materials allegedly made without competitive bidding or a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement. The report, according to the suit, found no evidence that the items were procured and raised concerns that the money might have been diverted.
The suit also cited an alleged payment of ₦1.05bn for Toyota Prado TXL 2021 vehicles without advertisement, competitive bidding or bid evaluation. The Auditor-General reportedly raised concerns that the funds might have been lost and the contracts inflated.
Other transactions highlighted included more than ₦3.13bn paid to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded; ₦9.24bn for 22 contracts allegedly split to circumvent procurement procedures; and ₦129.37m paid to 19 accounting firms for audit services without adequate evidence of utilisation.
SERAP further cited payments of ₦504.49m for accreditation devices, which allegedly raised concerns over procurement procedures, software validity and value for money. It also questioned ₦235.1m paid to contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving, citing concerns about the contractors’ eligibility and capacity.
The organisation wants INEC to provide documentary and physical evidence that the electoral materials covered by the findings were purchased, as well as account for their current location and condition. It is also asking the court to direct the commission to preserve the equipment and other public assets involved in the transactions to prevent their disposal, transfer or destruction in ways that could frustrate accountability.
SERAP also wants the identities of contractors, suppliers, consultants and public officials who authorised, processed or benefited from the transactions to be disclosed.
“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.
It added that transparency was especially important as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, arguing that accountability in electoral spending was essential to maintaining public confidence in the democratic process.
The suit cited Sections 13 and 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, alongside Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
