Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking a court order compelling the commission to investigate allegations that All Progressives Congress governors diverted about N800 billion from FAAC allocations for campaign purposes.
The rights group alleged that the funds were channelled into a campaign fund to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to SERAP, the lawsuit followed reports alleging that APC governors had been making monthly deductions from their FAAC allocations into a dedicated campaign fund allegedly established to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the originating summons, the rights group asked the court to issue an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and determine whether public funds were unlawfully diverted for campaign purposes.
SERAP also sought an order compelling the electoral commission to demand full disclosure from the APC and the affected governors regarding the alleged campaign contributions, including the identities of donors, the amounts contributed and the lawful sources of the funds.
The organisation further urged the court to direct INEC to commence a comprehensive review of political financing by political parties and candidates in line with Section 91 of the Electoral Act, with particular focus on compliance with campaign finance regulations in the current political cycle.
In the suit filed on its behalf by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, SERAP argued that the allegations raise serious concerns over transparency in political financing, electoral fairness and Nigerians’ constitutional right to participate freely in democratic governance.
According to the organisation, opaque political financing remains one of the major channels through which corruption infiltrates the electoral process, stressing that citizens have a right to know who finances political parties and candidates as well as the sources of such funds.
“The abuse of state resources for electoral advantage undermines democratic integrity and public trust. Fairness, transparency and accountability in political or campaign finance are essential safeguards against corruption, state capture and undue influence in democratic processes,” the organisation stated.
