2027 Elections: ₦126bn Electoral Funds Controversy Puts INEC Under Fresh Accountability Pressure
2027 Elections: ₦126bn Electoral Funds Controversy Puts INEC Under Fresh Accountability Pressure
With preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections gathering momentum, the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, has come under fresh pressure to explain alleged financial irregularities involving more than ₦126.46 billion earmarked for electoral operations.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, is demanding a comprehensive account of the funds following findings it cited from the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026.
Rather than merely seeking clarification on the figures, SERAP wants INEC to disclose who received the payments, the contracts involved, contractors and suppliers engaged, procurement procedures followed and evidence that the goods and services paid for were actually delivered.
The civil society organisation has given the electoral commission seven days to provide the information or face legal proceedings aimed at compelling disclosure and accountability.
According to SERAP, the alleged financial irregularities concern funds appropriated for several critical components of election administration, including ballot boxes, electoral devices and materials, sensitive materials, result sheets, vehicles, accreditation equipment, consultancy services and digital archiving.
The organisation said the Auditor-General’s findings covered different periods between January and December 2022, with some transactions extending to December 31, 2023.
The development raises fresh questions about financial transparency within the institution responsible for organising Nigeria’s elections, particularly as the country moves towards another general election in 2027.
SERAP has asked INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to ensure that the commission accounts for the funds and establishes the current status of electoral assets, goods and services for which payments were reportedly made.
The organisation also wants INEC to identify public officials, companies, contractors, suppliers and consultants responsible for any transactions ultimately established to have been unlawful or irregular.
It further urged the commission to take steps to recover any public money found to have been improperly paid, diverted or spent on goods and services that were not supplied or appropriately utilised.
Beyond financial disclosure, SERAP is asking INEC to refer allegations of diversion, unlawful expenditure, procurement violations and other possible financial misconduct identified by the Auditor-General to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, where appropriate, for investigation and possible prosecution.
SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, who signed the September 12 letter, maintained that money allocated for elections remained public resources and must therefore be subjected to proper accountability.
The organisation’s latest intervention comes at a sensitive period for INEC as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
INEC’s own report on the 2023 general election showed that the approved original election budget was about ₦303.18 billion, with a supplementary budget of approximately ₦52.12 billion, bringing the total approved Election Project Plan budget to roughly ₦355.30 billion.
The commission reported receiving approximately ₦313.48 billion between February 2022 and September 2023, leaving about ₦41.82 billion outstanding.
Against that financial backdrop, SERAP’s demand over the alleged ₦126.46 billion irregularities could intensify public scrutiny of how electoral funds are managed and whether procurement processes provide sufficient safeguards for taxpayers’ money.
The latest controversy also goes beyond accounting figures. Confidence in the financial management of the electoral commission could become part of the wider debate over the credibility and integrity of the 2027 elections.
However, the ₦126.46 billion remains an allegation arising from audit findings cited by SERAP, and should not be presented as money conclusively proven by a court to have been stolen or diverted.
Attention will now turn to INEC’s response and whether the commission will provide the detailed disclosures demanded before the expiration of SERAP’s seven-day deadline.
Failure to satisfy the request could open another legal battle between the electoral commission and the civil society organisation.
