By Our Reporter

Towards a build up to 2027 general election, the country’s electoral empire,
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , has come under the scrutiny of a non governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), as the watchdog body has  given INEC seven days to “account for over ₦126.46 billion in public funds appropriated for electoral operations but allegedly diverted, lost, mismanaged or otherwise unaccounted for.”

The funds relate to the procurement of ballot boxes, electoral devices and materials, sensitive materials and result sheets, vehicles, accreditation devices, audit and consultancy services, digital archiving and other goods and services required for the conduct and administration of elections.

In the letter dated 12 September 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Electoral resources are public resources. INEC must be able to account for every naira, demonstrate that it was lawfully spent and show that it served the purposes for which it was appropriated.”

According to the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on 7 August 2026, the findings variously covered periods between January and December 2022 and, in some cases, extended to 31 December 2023.

SERAP urged INEC to “account for the over ₦126 billion, including the amounts paid, the beneficiaries of the payments, the contracts and procurement processes, the contractors and suppliers involved, and evidence of delivery, utilisation and the current status of the goods, services and electoral assets concerned.”

SERAP also urged Professor Joash Amupitan and INEC “to refer the alleged diversion, unlawful expenditure, procurement violations and other financial misconduct documented by the Auditor-General to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation, prosecution and recovery.”

SERAP urged Professor Amupitan and INEC “to identify the public officials, contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants responsible and take all necessary steps to recover any of the over ₦126 billion found to have been unlawfully or irregularly paid, lost, diverted, or paid for goods and services not supplied or properly utilised.”

SERAP said, “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

The letter, read in part: “These findings are particularly disturbing given the constitutional importance of INEC and the fact that the expenditure concerns resources appropriated for the administration of Nigeria’s electoral system.”

“These findings suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), national anticorruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.”

“According to the Auditor-General, INEC ‘irregularly paid’ over ₦112 billion [₦112,155,597,845.00] ‘for ballot boxes, electoral devices, items and materials without competitive bidding or a BPP Certificate of No Objection.’”

“INEC also ‘paid over ₦1 billion [₦1,058,925,000.00] for Toyota Prado TXL 2021 Model without advertisement, competitive bidding, bid evaluation or a BPP Certificate of No Objection.’ The Auditor-General fears that the money ‘may have been lost’ and that the contracts ‘may have been inflated.’”

“INEC ‘paid over ₦3 billion [₦3,136,806,050.00] to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded, with no evidence of payment.’ The Auditor-General is concerned that the money ‘may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.”

“INEC also ‘paid over ₦9 billion [₦9,245,965,502.60] for 22 contracts for similar goods and services’, with the contracts ‘split to circumvent procurement procedures and awarded on the same day.’ The Auditor-General said the money ‘may have been lost’ and that ‘the payment may have been made for items not supplied.’”

“INEC ‘paid over ₦129 million [₦129,375,000.00] to 19 accounting firms for financial audit services without evidence of utilisation or requests and expenditure by the consultants.’ The Auditor-General raised concerns that the money ‘may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.”

“INEC also ‘paid over ₦504 million [₦504,492,641.00] for accreditation devices without due procurement process. The ‘APG had expired before the security licence key was delivered and the software was valid for only four months, raising questions about economy and value for money.’ The Auditor-General also raised concerns that the money ‘may have been diverted.’”

“INEC ‘paid over ₦235 million [₦235,103,000.00] to unqualified contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving.’ The Auditor-General identified ‘serious concerns regarding the eligibility and capacity of the contractors’, and raised concerns that the money ‘may have been lost.’ He wants the money recovered.”

“INEC should provide documentary and physical evidence that the over ₦112 billion identified as ‘irregularly paid’ was actually used to procure the electoral materials concerned and account for the present location and status of those materials.”

“Nigerians have a right to know every public act, everything that is done in the public interest, by their public institutions including INEC.”

“Democracy requires an informed citizenry. That principle is directly relevant to public expenditure by an electoral management body: citizens are entitled to know how resources entrusted to INEC for the conduct of elections have been used.”

“INEC should also ensure that no electoral equipment, material or other public asset covered by the Auditor-General’s findings is disposed of, transferred, destroyed, written off or otherwise dealt with in a manner that could frustrate accountability or recovery pending completion of the reconciliation and any resulting investigation.”

“Any referral to the EFCC and ICPC should expressly cover the contractors, companies, suppliers and consultants who irregularly received public funds, as well as any INEC officials or other public officials who authorised, processed, facilitated or benefited from the transactions.”

“The recommended investigations should determine, among other things: whether the contracted goods and services were actually supplied; whether payments corresponded with goods and services actually delivered; and whether contracts were deliberately split to circumvent procurement requirements.”

“Where investigations establish that public funds were unlawfully received or expended, INEC should cooperate fully with the EFCC, ICPC, Auditor-General, Attorney-General of the Federation and other competent authorities to secure recovery and remittance of the funds to the appropriate public account.”

“Recovery should extend to all amounts established to have been unlawfully or irregularly paid, together with any other recoverable public loss established through the investigations.”

“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions including INEC to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on INEC to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”

“Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption requires INEC to adopt preventive anti-corruption policies and transparent public procurement and public financial management.”

“Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party protect citizens’ rights to participate in public affairs.”

***To seek campaign funding support from Nigerians, move party away from wealthy individuals, politicians

*** I won 2023 election, will only concede if I lose in credible poll, says Obi

*** Promises to retain Tinubu’s Naira floating policy

By Tony Chuddy

As political parties mobilise to campaign across the country ahead of the 2027 general election, the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said it would create a separate election result transmission device that would transmit election results direct from the various polling units across the country to its situation room.

Presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, said the plan is to ensure that there would be repeat of his 2023 experience, where he accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of denying him “victory,”by blaming glitches for its inability to post real time election results to the commission’s results viewing portal, the IReV.

Obi, who said he and his supporters will not place the same level of trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general election as they did in 2023, explained that the experience of the 2023 presidential election had taught him and his supporters to take greater responsibility for protecting their votes.

According to Obi, he had previously trusted assurances from the electoral commission that the 2023 election would be conducted transparently.

He alleged that the then INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, gave assurances that the commission would conduct the election properly but claimed that Yakubu was instead working in favour of his political opponents.

“In 2023 we took things for granted. We believed INEC. We believed what they said they would do.

“The INEC Chairman convinced the world that he would do the right thing, when in fact he was working for the opposition,” Obi said.

Obi said the NDC would therefore take additional steps to monitor the outcome of the upcoming 2027 election, to avoid a repeat of what happened to them in 2023.

This is even as the party said it would seek the contribution of Nigerians to fund its election campaigns.

National Leader of the NDC, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, said the party plans to raise campaign funds through small donations from ordinary Nigerians.

Dickson, who disclosed this during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time on Wednesday, explained that the party would appeal to Nigerians for a voluntary contribution of at leastN1,000 towards its campaign activities.

The former Bayelsa State governor argued that the decision was the initiated to move the party away from the grip of wealthy individuals and politicians, adding that it was aimed at reducing the influence of wealthy individuals and political financiers who, according to him, could use their financial power to exert undue influence on the country’s democratic process.

“You cannot allow your democracy to be funded by moneybags and billionaires who are now trillionaires using government resources. You will continue to be oppressed.

“So, we have got to help Nigerian poor people, oppressed people, break loose from the oppressors. We want a process by which Nigerians, ordinary Nigerians, can contribute N1,000, N2,000, as it happens all over the world,” he said.

He said the party wanted to create a funding model that would give ordinary citizens an opportunity to contribute directly to its political activities, adding that the NDC leadership has commenced consultations over the composition of the party’s presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 election.

He said the NDC would announce the council’s membership after the consultations had been concluded, stressing that the party did not want to rush into publishing a list that could later be withdrawn.

“We don’t want to do what the other party in government has done, publishing something and withdrawing it,” he said.

The former Bayelsa state governor, who is also seeking a return to the senate, assured that the party would vigorously campaign for every vote and present its case directly to Nigerians.

“We will take our case to the Nigerian people, and every vote will be fought for. Every vote will be contested,” Dickson said.

He therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other relevant institutions to ensure that the 2027 elections were conducted freely, fairly and credibly, as well as ensure that only the voted candidates are declared winners of the polls

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi, has declared that he will abide by the decision of Nigerians and concede, congratulate whoever is declared winner of the 2027 election, if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts a free, fair and credible election.

Obi, who maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election, but was denied his mandate by the Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC, noted that Nigerians took Yakubu’s INEC for granted and believe what he described as his fake promises to conduct a credible election

Obi who made the declaration during an interview aired on Arise TV on Thursday, said he would respect the will of Nigerians if they chose another candidate.

He said, “If the election is free, fair and credible, I will because it’s an election. It’s the people that would say who they want to serve, and I will respect the will of the people; that’s democracy.

“I won the 2023 election, yes, I did, and I will maintain that as long as I live that I won the 2023 election. Those who conducted it know the records; they know why there was a glitch and what happened.

Determined to avoid a repeat of his 2023 fate, and the INEC reported glitches, the NDC presidential candidate disclosed that his team will set up a system to transmit results directly from polling units to its situation room during the 2027 general elections.

Obi emphasised that the system would enable his team to receive and monitor results from polling units as they are recorded.

The former Anambra State governor said the arrangement would operate alongside the official transmission of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“We must make sure that at every polling unit, the votes are counted, the votes are recorded properly, the votes are transmitted properly.

“And we will have even a dual transmission so that as it’s going to the proper designated INEC portal, it’s also being transmitted where the people can see it,” he said.

Asked whether his plan to have separate IReV systems across the country would not amount to establishing a parallel result-transmission system, Obi said, “No, it will not.

“All we are saying is that this time around, we will make sure that in every polling unit, we must have a system that transmits to our own situation room the correct results,” he stated.

He argued that other organisations could also establish similar monitoring systems, adding that the aim was to prevent results from being announced that did not originate from polling units.

“And I’m sure there are so many other agencies that intend to do the same thing. So we’re not going to have a situation where somebody pronounces something that didn’t emanate from the polling unit. Our task is to make sure that the right things are done,” Obi said.

Obi also highlighted his educational background, listing Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg among institutions he had attended.

“You can look at our qualification in terms of training. I’ve been to the best schools from all over the world, from Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg, and I’ve been everywhere, and every certificate I’m showing you is the way it is. If they find anyone wrong, I will drop from the race,” he said.

He also regretted the lack of youth representation in Nigeria’s presidency, noting that no person born after 1960 had served as president since independence.

“Since 1960, nobody born outside 1960 has been president of Nigeria. This is 66 years of independence; no other country in the world has had this happen to, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” Obi said.

The National Democratic Congress presidential candidate also promised that he would retain President Bola Tinubu’s naira float policy if elected.

He however emphasised that hat his administration would focus on increasing productivity to strengthen the currency and make it more valuable to Nigerians.

The former Anambra State governor, when asked to name one policy of the Tinubu administration that he would retain if elected presidenti said, “There’s one – the floating of the Naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people.”

By Eze Nnadi

The federal government has redeemed its financial and house pledges to the players and officials of both the Super Falcons and D’Tigress football and basketball teams, following their victories at the 2025 Women African Football Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and Federation of International Africa Basketball (FIBA) Women Afrobasket championship.

The National Sports Commission, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed the payment of the naira equivalent of $100,000 to each player of Nigeria’s senior women’s football and basketball team, as part of the Presidential Reward for their victory at the 2025 WAFCON and FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.

The commission also confirmed the payment of the naira equivalent of $50,000 to each of the two team’s officials.

The statement further noted that accounts of the players and officials were credited on September 9, 2026, with the NSC saying all recipients had confirmed receipt of the funds.

D’Tigress won the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title for a record fifth consecutive time and seventh overall in 2025., while the Super Falcons, who recently crashed out of the 2026 edition of WAFCON, won a record tenth championship last year.

The commission said the payment completed all components of the rewards promised to members of the team by President Bola Tinubu.

The NSC, in a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, said the Presidential Rewards comprised three-bedroom flats in Abuja, national honours of the Order of the Niger and the cash payments.

The commission recalled that the players and officials received the title documents for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours in February 2026 during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France.

The NSC said the documents were duly signed by the president of the Federal Republic, Bola Tinubu.

The statement said, “With the payment, the entire presidential rewards promised to each member of the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR comprising a 3-Bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of OON and Naira equivalent of $USD 100,000 to players and $USD 50,000 to officials have been fully redeemed and completed.

“This unprecedented rewards to the players and athletes by the Federal Government of Nigeria is in alignment with the Renewed Hope initiative and Shared Prosperity agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR which places athletes’ welfare and appropriate rewards top on the priority list.”

The commission thanked Tinubu for his support for Nigerian sports, saying his policies had given impetus to its reform agenda and efforts to develop a sustainable sports economy.

It also appreciated the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for their collaboration in implementing the rewards.

The NSC said the collaboration ensured that the Presidential Rewards were implemented “in record time within the due process requirements.”