The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has initiated legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission. The lawsuit demands that the electoral body probe claims that various All Progressives Congress governors funneled N800 billion into political and campaign activities.
In a formal statement, the organization asserted that these governors were allegedly redirecting monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee funds into a specialized account intended to back President Bola Tinubu’s campaign for a second term. The legal challenge, recorded as FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was officially submitted to the Federal High Court in Abuja last week.
SERAP is urging the court to issue a writ of mandamus to force the commission to launch an investigation. They further request that the electoral body compel the APC and the involved governors to provide a transparent account of the funding, including identifying who contributed and verifying the legitimacy of the sources. Additionally, the suit seeks a comprehensive audit of all political parties and candidates to ensure they strictly adhere to Section 91 of the Electoral Act regarding financial conduct.
The group emphasized that these allegations jeopardize political transparency and the public’s right to participate in fair democratic processes. By allowing such practices, they argue, democratic legitimacy is compromised and corruption is facilitated. SERAP maintains that the public deserves full visibility into political financing to prevent the influence of state resources on electoral outcomes.
