The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to properly account for ₦55.9 billion earmarked for the 2019 general elections, raising fresh concerns about transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The suit follows damning allegations contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s latest annual report, published on September 9, 2025, which detailed widespread financial irregularities in INEC’s procurement of election materials, including smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets, and other logistics used during the 2019 polls.
Details of the Lawsuit
The case, FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026, was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the suit, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling INEC to fully account for the alleged missing or diverted ₦55.9 billion.
SERAP is also seeking a court order directing INEC to publicly disclose the names of all contractors paid from the funds, as well as the directors and shareholders of those companies involved in the procurement of election materials for the 2019 general elections.
According to SERAP, without a transparent explanation of how the funds were spent, INEC risks undermining public confidence in the electoral system and its constitutional mandate to conduct free, fair, and credible elections.
SERAP’s Argument: Accountability Is Non-Negotiable
In its filings, SERAP argued that INEC cannot credibly guarantee impartial and transparent elections in the future if the allegations of corruption are not adequately addressed. The organisation stressed that perpetrators must be prosecuted and misappropriated funds recovered to restore public trust.
“INEC must operate without corruption if it is to ensure free and fair elections and uphold Nigerians’ constitutional right to participate in governance,” SERAP stated.
The group further argued that persistent financial opacity within the electoral body amounts to abuse of public office and a violation of both Nigeria’s Constitution and international anti-corruption standards.
Auditor-General’s Findings
According to court documents, the Auditor-General’s report revealed that INEC irregularly paid over ₦5.3 billion to a contractor for the supply of smart card readers for the 2019 elections. The contract was reportedly awarded without approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) or the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and payments were allegedly made without any evidence of supply.
INEC reportedly defended the action by claiming that the procurement fell under national security exemptions. However, the Auditor-General rejected this justification, describing it as “alien to the Procurement Act”, and insisted that INEC should have obtained a Certificate of No Objection from the BPP. The funds, the report warned, may have been diverted.
More Questionable Payments
The report further alleged that INEC paid ₦4.5 billion to six contractors for ballot papers and result sheets without documentary evidence of supply, procurement advertisements, bid evaluations, approvals, or BPP certification. There were also no records showing that the contractors met basic eligibility requirements, such as tax clearance and pension compliance.
In another instance, INEC allegedly paid ₦331 million to contractors under doubtful circumstances, with contradictory documentation. One contract for the supply of generators reportedly had payment receipts dated 12 months before the contract was awarded.
The Auditor-General also flagged INEC’s failure to deduct and remit over ₦2.1 billion in stamp duties between 2018 and 2019, as well as the non-retirement of ₦630 million in cash advances granted to commission officers.
₦41bn Contracts and Inflated Vehicle Purchases
Perhaps most troubling, the report alleged that INEC awarded over ₦41 billion worth of contracts for printing election materials without due process, including contracts given to companies with no proven experience in printing.
INEC was also accused of irregularly awarding a ₦297 million contract for four Toyota Land Cruisers, allegedly paying about ₦74 million per vehicle, despite market surveys showing the vehicles cost no more than ₦50 million each at the time.
SERAP Demands Transparency
SERAP maintained that allegations of corruption in the procurement of election materials directly undermine Nigerians’ right to participate in credible and transparent elections. The organisation warned that failure to address the issues could damage the integrity of future polls.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its legal team, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, who described the Auditor-General’s findings as evidence of a grave breach of public trust.
As of the time of filing this report, no date has been fixed for the hearing, and INEC has yet to formally respond to the suit.
