2027 Polls: SERAP gives INEC seven days to open up on political donations

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given INEC seven days to disclose political donation limits, party finances and its 2027 monitoring plans.

In a Freedom of Information request dated August 22, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to disclose whether the commission has exercised its statutory power under Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe limits on political contributions.

SERAP demanded that, where such limits have been prescribed, INEC should immediately publish them and widely communicate them to political parties, candidates, donors and the Nigerian public.

The organisation also asked the commission to disclose the systems, personnel and procedures it has put in place to monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with political contribution and campaign expenditure limits during the 2027 electoral process.

It further demanded details of INEC’s methodology for monitoring political financing, particularly its arrangements for identifying and addressing cash and in-kind contributions, digital and social-media financing, third-party expenditure and donations made through intermediaries that could be used to circumvent statutory limits.

SERAP said greater transparency in political financing was essential to ensuring that the 2027 elections were conducted on a level playing field and that citizens could make free and informed political choices.

It argued that INEC’s constitutional responsibility goes beyond merely receiving financial statements from political parties, stressing that the commission is required to examine party finances, conduct necessary investigations and report to the National Assembly.

According to SERAP, publishing those reports would enable Nigerians to determine whether INEC had effectively discharged its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

The organisation warned that voters, journalists and civil-society groups could not effectively scrutinise political financing if applicable contribution limits were not easily accessible or if there was no publicly known mechanism for monitoring compliance.

SERAP also raised concern over what it described as the increasing monetisation of Nigeria’s elections and the potential misuse of state institutions, saying these posed serious threats to democratic integrity and electoral competition.

It said the requested information would allow citizens to identify excessive, undisclosed or potentially illicit political financing before such funding could distort electoral competition.

The organisation maintained that effective political-finance regulation was necessary to safeguard constitutional democracy, equality of political participation, freedom of expression and association, electoral integrity and meaningful participation in public affairs.

SERAP further cited longstanding challenges in regulating political finance in Nigeria, including excessive campaign spending, opaque funding sources, weak disclosure and reporting mechanisms and limited enforcement of statutory spending and contribution rules.

It said previous assessments of Nigerian elections had identified gaps between the country’s legal framework and its practical implementation, including concerns that spending limits could be circumvented, political-party expenditure was insufficiently regulated or transparently disclosed, and violations were rarely identified and effectively sanctioned.

SERAP said it remained unclear whether INEC had prescribed, clearly published and effectively monitored applicable contribution limits and whether political parties and candidates could be held accountable for contributions and expenditure exceeding the limits or deliberately concealed.

The organisation specifically referred to Section 91(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which empowers INEC to place limitations on the amount of money or other assets an individual can contribute to a political party or candidate and to demand information on donations and their sources.

It also noted that Section 91(2) provides sanctions where an individual, candidate or political party exceeds the applicable limit prescribed by INEC.

SERAP therefore urged the commission to clarify whether it had exercised its powers under Section 91 and, if so, publish the limits prominently and make them easily accessible, including on its website.

The organisation also asked INEC to explain the methodology and criteria used in determining the limits, including whether considerations such as excessive financial influence, fair electoral competition, corruption risks and illicit political financing were taken into account.

On political-party finances, SERAP invoked Sections 226(1), 226(2) and 226(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

It said Section 226(1) requires INEC to prepare and submit an annual report to the National Assembly on the accounts and balance sheets of political parties, while Section 226(2) requires the commission to conduct investigations necessary to determine whether proper books of account and records have been maintained.

Section 226(3), it added, gives INEC and its authorised agents access to party books, accounts and vouchers and allows them to demand information and explanations necessary for the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

With INEC having released the Notice of Election and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections, SERAP said transparency in political financing was particularly important as parties and candidates mobilise resources for the electoral contest.

SERAP asked INEC to publish the latest detailed statements submitted by political parties on their assets and liabilities, sources of funds and other assets and expenditure.

It also demanded the publication of parties’ annual statements, audited accounts and election expenditure returns for 2023 to 2025, as well as INEC’s Section 225 and 226 examination and audit reports, including annual reports submitted to the National Assembly for the same period.

The organisation further requested disclosure of enforcement actions arising from political-finance and expenditure violations and INEC’s 2027 political-finance monitoring plan, including arrangements for real-time or near-real-time monitoring and cooperation with relevant anti-corruption, financial-intelligence, regulatory and law-enforcement agencies.

SERAP also wants INEC to disclose the political parties that submitted reports of contributions received following the 2023 general elections, the dates of submission and actions taken against parties that failed to submit the reports within the statutory deadline.

It warned that failure to provide the requested information within seven days of receiving or publishing the letter would prompt SERAP to take appropriate legal action to compel compliance in the public interest.