The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission over its failure to account for more than N126.46bn appropriated for electoral operations, which it alleged was diverted, lost, mismanaged or otherwise unaccounted for.
SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus compelling INEC to disclose details of the expenditure, utilisation and disbursement of the funds, which were meant for the procurement of ballot boxes, electoral devices and materials, result sheets, vehicles and accreditation devices, as well as audit and consultancy services.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2507/2026, was filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja, according to a statement issued by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
However, the organisation said the allegations were contained in the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026. The alleged infractions covered periods between January and December 2022 and, in some cases, extended to December 31, 2023.
In the suit filed by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to promptly disclose detailed information on the expenditure, utilisation and disbursement of over ₦126.46 billion appropriated for electoral operations, including the procurement of election materials, equipment, and vehicles.”
It is also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to disclose a full financial and documentary account of the over ₦126 billion appropriated for electoral operations, including amounts released and paid, payment beneficiaries, details of contractors and their beneficial owners.”
