The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to account for N55.9 billion allocated for the purchase of election materials for the 2019 general elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the funds were meant for the procurement of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets, and other election materials.
The organisation said the allegations are contained in the latest annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025.
According to SERAP, the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026, was filed last Friday at the federal high court in Abuja. The group is asking the court for “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to account for the missing or diverted ₦55.9 billion meant to buy smart card readers, ballot papers, and other election materials for the 2019 general elections.”
SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the ₦55.9 billion for the procurement of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets, and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, including the names of their directors and shareholders.”
The suit was filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo. In it, the organisation cited a 2022 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which alleged that INEC “irregularly paid” over N5.3 billion (N5,312,238,499.39) to a contractor for the supply of smart card readers for the 2019 general elections.
According to the report, the contract was awarded without prior approval from the bureau of public procurement and the federal executive council, while the payment was “made without any document. There was no evidence of supplies to the commission.”
INEC reportedly claimed that approval was unnecessary because “the supply of smart card readers falls under national defence or national security and therefore exempted under the procurement act.”
However, SERAP said the auditor-general rejected the explanation as “alien to the procurement act” and stated that “INEC ought to have received a certificate of no objection from the bureau of public procurement for the contract.”
The auditor-general was quoted as expressing concern that the money “may have been diverted” and recommending that it be recovered and remitted to the treasury.
SERAP further said the report alleged that INEC paid over N4.5 billion to six contractors for ballot papers and result sheets without documentary evidence of supply or proof of compliance with due procurement process, including advertisement, bid evaluation, approvals, or certificates of eligibility.
Other allegations cited include the payment of over N331 million to contractors under questionable circumstances, failure to deduct and remit over N2.1 billion in stamp duties, non-retirement of over N630 million in cash advances to INEC officials, and the award of contracts worth over N41 billion for the printing of election materials without due process.
The organisation also said the report queried the award of a contract for the supply of four Toyota land cruisers to INEC for over N297 million, noting that market surveys showed the vehicles did not cost more than N50 million each at the time, while INEC allegedly paid N74 million per vehicle.
SERAP argued that INEC must operate transparently and without corruption to guarantee free and fair elections and safeguard Nigerians’ right to participate in the electoral process.
It added that the electoral body cannot effectively carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities if it continues to undermine transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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