SERAP drags INEC to court over missing ₦126bn electoral funds

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its failure to account for more than ₦126.46 billion appropriated for electoral operations.

The group alleged that the funds were systematically diverted, lost, or mismanaged between January 2022 and December 2023.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2507/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja following revelations contained in the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation. SERAP is demanding full financial disclosure regarding the procurement of ballot boxes, accreditation devices, result sheets, utility vehicles, and consultancy services.

According to the suit, the Auditor-General’s report flagged severe infractions, including an irregular payment of over ₦112 billion for electoral materials without competitive bidding or evidence of supply.

The report also revealed that ₦1 billion was spent on luxury vehicles without evaluation, while over ₦9 billion was deliberately split across 22 contracts to circumvent strict procurement procedures.

“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. With the 2027 general elections approaching, transparency and accountability in the management of these funds are essential to safeguarding public confidence in the electoral process.”

SERAP is requesting the court to direct INEC to preserve all physical assets and materials covered by the Auditor-General’s findings to prevent the destruction of evidence.

The group mentioned Nigerians have a constitutional right to know the identities of the contractors and public officials involved in the questionable transactions as legal proceedings commence.