The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a fresh legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to properly account for ₦55.9 billion earmarked for the procurement of election materials for the 2019 general elections.
The rights group disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stating that the disputed funds were meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive election materials. Naija247News gathered that the allegations are contained in the latest annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), which was published on September 9, 2025.
According to the statement, the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus compelling INEC to provide a full account of the allegedly missing or diverted ₦55.9 billion. The organisation is also asking the court to direct INEC to disclose the identities of all contractors paid from the funds, including the names of their directors and shareholders.
Naija247News understands that SERAP’s legal team, comprising Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, anchored the case on findings from the AGF’s reports, including a 2022 audit which alleged that INEC irregularly paid over ₦5.3 billion to a contractor for the supply of smart card readers without prior approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) or the Federal Executive Council.
The audit report further claimed that the payment was made without supporting documents and without evidence that the items were ever supplied to INEC. While INEC reportedly argued that approval was unnecessary because the procurement fell under national security exemptions, the Auditor-General rejected the explanation, describing it as alien to the Procurement Act.
Naija247News reports that the AGF also raised concerns over additional payments exceeding ₦4.5 billion to six contractors for ballot papers and result sheets without proof of supply or compliance with due procurement processes. Other queried expenditures include over ₦331 million paid under questionable circumstances, failure to remit more than ₦2.1 billion in stamp duties, non-retirement of over ₦630 million in cash advances, and the award of printing contracts worth over ₦41 billion without due process.
SERAP argued that transparency and accountability within INEC are essential to the conduct of free and fair elections, stressing that the electoral body cannot effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities while allegations of financial impropriety persist. Naija247News understands that no date has yet been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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