The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to compel the commission to investigate allegations that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) diverted about ₦800 billion from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds for campaign activities.

SERAP alleged that the funds were paid into a campaign account intended to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2026, was filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to the organisation, the legal action followed reports claiming that APC governors had been making monthly deductions from their FAAC allocations into a campaign fund allegedly created to finance President Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In its originating summons, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus directing INEC to investigate the allegations and determine whether public funds were unlawfully diverted for campaign purposes.

The organisation is also seeking an order compelling INEC to require the APC and the affected governors to fully disclose the alleged campaign contributions, including the identities of the donors, the amounts contributed and the lawful sources of the funds.

SERAP further requested that the court direct the electoral commission to conduct a comprehensive review of political financing by political parties and candidates in accordance with Section 91 of the Electoral Act, with particular attention to compliance with campaign finance regulations in the current political cycle.

In the suit filed by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, SERAP argued that the allegations raise serious concerns about transparency in political financing, electoral fairness and Nigerians’ constitutional right to participate freely in democratic governance.

The organisation maintained that opaque political financing remains a major avenue through which corruption enters the electoral process, stressing that citizens have the right to know who funds political parties and candidates and the legitimate sources of such funds.

According to SERAP, the misuse of public resources for electoral advantage undermines democratic integrity and public confidence, adding that fairness, transparency and accountability in political and campaign financing are essential safeguards against corruption, state capture and undue influence in democratic governance.