The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly failing to investigate claims that governors under the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted N800 billion from public funds to finance President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to its suit designated FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026 filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to compel INEC to probe allegations that APC governors are making monthly contributions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations into a dedicated campaign fund for the 2027 presidential election.
According to reports cited by SERAP, the alleged contributions from FAAC allocations are being channelled to support President Tinubu’s campaign.
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The rights group argued that the allegations raise serious concerns about political finance transparency, electoral fairness, and the constitutional right of Nigerians to participate freely in their government.
SERAP is seeking three key orders of mandamus to compel INEC to investigate the alleged N800bn diversion by APC governors, to order INEC to demand full disclosure from the governors and the APC on contributions made to any campaign fund, including donor names and sources of funds, to direct INEC to review compliance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act by all political parties, especially regarding sources and scale of campaign financing.
Filed by SERAP lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, the suit warned that “opaque political financing remains a major entry point for corruption and a threat to democratic legitimacy.”
The group stressed that Nigerians deserve to know who funds the candidates or political parties of their choice and the sources of any such funding.”
Citing Section 91 of the Electoral Act, SERAP noted that political parties that exceed prescribed donation limits face fines of up to N10 million and forfeiture of excess funds, while individuals are liable to penalties of five times the excess amount donated.
“The allegations of diversion or opaque use of public funds pose a grave risk to the integrity of the 2027 general elections. The abuse of state resources for electoral advantage undermines democratic integrity and public trust,” SERAP stated.
The group further argued that INEC has constitutional and statutory obligations under the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the UN Convention against Corruption, and human rights treaties to ensure transparency in political financing and prevent undue influence in elections.
“Where public resources are allegedly diverted or deployed for political and campaign purposes, the result is not merely financial impropriety, it is a direct distortion of electoral competition,” the suit reads.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.