The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing renewed scrutiny following revelations that N55.9 billion appear to have gone unaccounted for during the procurement of materials for the 2019 general elections.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in a statement on Sunday has urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to clarify what happened to N55.9 billion reportedly released for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets, and other election-related items.
The rights group cited findings in the latest annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on 9 September 2025, which raise serious questions about transparency and accountability within the commission.
The rights group also demanded that INEC identify the contractors who received the funds, disclose the names of their directors, and provide their addresses.
The group stressed that the public deserves to know why such substantial sums cannot be traced to actual deliveries of election materials.
The Auditor-General’s report highlighted multiple inconsistencies with procurement laws. For instance, over N5.3 billion was released to a contractor for smart card readers with no evidence that the items were supplied.
Required approvals from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council were absent. The Auditor-General rejected INEC’s claim that the contract fell under “national security” considerations, stating that the excuse had no legal basis. The report warned that the funds may have been diverted and directed that they be recovered.
Similarly, more than N4.5 billion paid to six contractors for ballot papers and result sheets lacked evidence of delivery, competitive bidding, or eligibility verification.
The Auditor-General also raised concerns over ₦331 million in payments described as “doubtful,” including one case where payment receipts for 25 generating sets were issued months before the contract was signed.
INEC defended some breaches by claiming urgent decisions were necessary to prevent a constitutional crisis during the 2019 elections. However, auditors deemed the explanations insufficient and insisted that the funds must be recovered.
Other irregularities flagged include the failure to deduct over N2.1 billion in stamp duties from contractors’ payments between 2018 and 2019 and the non-retirement of cash advances exceeding N630 million.
In addition, contracts worth more than ₦41 billion for printed election materials were awarded to companies with no track record in printing, with some recipients being construction or oil and gas firms.
The Commission was also criticised for purchasing four Toyota Land Cruisers for N297 million, with each vehicle reportedly priced far above the 2019 market value and procured without mandatory approvals.
SERAP warned that failure to address these allegations could erode public trust in INEC and weaken confidence in future elections.
The group has asked that the matter be referred to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and potential prosecution of anyone found culpable. It has given the commission seven days to act before pursuing legal measures to enforce compliance
