SERAP sues INEC over alleged ₦126bn missing electoral funds
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to account for more than ₦126.46bn appropriated for electoral…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is a Lagos-based civil society organisation known for using Freedom of Information requests and public interest litigation to press government agencies on transparency and accountability, including past suits against INEC, the NNPC and various ministries over unaccounted public funds. INEC's budget, drawn from federal appropriations, funds core election logistics such as ballot materials, card readers and other accreditation devices, vehicles and result sheets, making scrutiny of how these funds are spent a recurring issue ahead of and after major elections in Nigeria.
The coverage across outlets agrees on the core facts: SERAP has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to compel INEC to account for over ₦126bn in electoral funds, with Channels TV specifying that the organisation wants an order of mandamus forcing disclosure of how the money was spent. Premium Times adds detail on what the funds were earmarked for, while Punch and Vanguard frame the money as allegedly "missing" or "mismanaged." None of the reports yet indicate INEC's response to the allegations, a court date, or the specific budget years and appropriation acts under which the funds were released.