INEC has been sued over alleged ₦800bn diversion by APC Governors for Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking a court order compelling the electoral body to investigate allegations that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted ₦800 billion for political and campaign purposes.
In a statement issued on Saturday, SERAP alleged that the APC governors had been making monthly contributions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations into a dedicated campaign fund to support the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the organisation, the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was filed last week before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and compel the electoral commission to obtain full disclosure from the APC and the affected governors regarding the alleged campaign fund.
The rights group said it wants details of the identities of donors, the total amount allegedly contributed, and the lawful sources of the funds to be made public.
In addition, SERAP is seeking a court order directing INEC to commence a comprehensive review and investigation into compliance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act by all political parties and candidates, particularly with respect to the sources and scale of political and campaign financing in the current electoral cycle.
According to the organisation, the allegations raise serious concerns about political finance transparency, electoral integrity and Nigerians’ constitutional right to participate in free and fair democratic processes.
SERAP argued that opaque campaign financing encourages corruption, weakens public confidence in democratic institutions and undermines the credibility of elections.
The organisation further maintained that Nigerians have a right to know who funds political parties and candidates, as well as the legitimate sources of such funding.
It added that any alleged misuse of public resources for political campaigns, if established, would pose a significant threat to democratic accountability, transparency and public trust, stressing that openness in campaign financing is essential to preventing corruption, undue political influence and state capture.
As of the time of filing this report, neither INEC nor the APC had issued an official response to the lawsuit or the allegations contained in SERAP’s court filing.
