The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to disclose and publish the limits it has set for political donations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
SERAP made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The organisation said the disclosure was necessary as political parties, candidates and their supporters intensify preparations for the elections.
SERAP urged INEC to clarify whether it had exercised the power granted to it under Section 91 of the Electoral Act, 2026, to limit the amount individuals can contribute to political parties and candidates.
It said that if such limits had been prescribed, the electoral commission should publish them prominently and ensure they were communicated to political parties, candidates, donors and the public.
“INEC should urgently disclose whether the Commission has exercised its statutory power to prescribe limits on political contributions under Section 91 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and, if so, publish the applicable limits and widely communicate them,” the organisation said.
SERAP also asked the commission to explain the systems and procedures it had established to monitor political donations and campaign spending, including cash and non-cash contributions, digital fundraising, social media advertising and expenditure by third parties.
The organisation further requested information on how INEC intended to detect contributions made through intermediaries or other arrangements designed to evade statutory limits.
According to SERAP, greater transparency in political financing would help protect the integrity of the 2027 elections and promote a level playing field among contestants.
“INEC’s constitutional responsibility is not simply to receive financial statements from political parties. The Constitution requires the Commission to examine political-party finances, conduct necessary investigations and report to the National Assembly,” it stated.
SERAP said publishing the relevant financial reports would allow Nigerians to assess whether INEC was effectively carrying out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
It also called on INEC to release the latest financial statements submitted by political parties, including records of their assets, liabilities, sources of funds and expenditure.
The organisation requested the publication of parties’ annual statements, audited accounts and election expenditure returns for 2023 to 2025, alongside INEC’s examination and audit reports under Sections 225 and 226 of the Constitution and its annual reports submitted to the National Assembly.
SERAP expressed concern over what it described as Nigeria’s longstanding challenges in regulating political finance, including excessive campaign expenditure, undisclosed sources of funding and weak enforcement of existing rules.
“The increasing monetisation of Nigeria’s elections, alongside the potential misuse of state institutions, poses serious threats to democratic integrity and electoral competition,” the organisation said.
It argued that early disclosure of political financing information would enable citizens to identify excessive or potentially unlawful funding before such practices could influence the outcome of the elections.
SERAP said political parties and candidates were already mobilising funds, organising political activities, purchasing media and digital advertisements and incurring campaign-related expenses ahead of the 2027 polls.
It therefore urged INEC to make its political-finance monitoring framework clear to the public and take effective steps to ensure compliance with the law.
