The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking to compel the electoral body to investigate allegations that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted about N800 billion from public funds for political and campaign purposes.
According to SERAP in a press statement, reports indicate that APC governors have allegedly been making monthly contributions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations into a dedicated campaign fund to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The campaign organisation said the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was filed last week before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the suit, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and determine whether the reported use of public funds for campaign financing violates Nigeria’s electoral laws.
The organisation is also asking the court to compel INEC to require full disclosure from the APC and the affected governors regarding any contributions made to a dedicated campaign fund, including the identities of donors and the lawful sources of the funds.
Additionally, SERAP seeks an order directing INEC to commence a comprehensive review and investigation into compliance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act, particularly regarding the sources and scale of political and campaign financing by political parties and candidates in the current electoral cycle.
SERAP argued that the allegations raise serious concerns about political finance transparency, electoral fairness, and the constitutional rights of Nigerians to participate in democratic governance under conditions of fairness and accountability.
The organisation further maintained that opaque political financing creates opportunities for corruption, weakens democratic institutions, and erodes public confidence in the electoral process.
It stressed that the alleged abuse of public resources for electoral advantage threatens democratic integrity, insisting that transparency and accountability in political financing are critical safeguards against corruption, undue influence, and state capture.
Before the suit, there has uproar over the allegation made earlier in the year. In May 2026, a political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly transforming public governance into a political financing structure for the 2027 elections, following reports that governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted funds from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ambition.
At the time of filing this report, neither INEC nor the APC had publicly responded to the lawsuit or the allegations.
AkweyaTV will continue to monitor the case and provide updates as it unfolds.
