SERAP has asked INEC to disclose political donation limits and details of party finances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Designed by ZpotHub News
With the 2027 general elections still more than a year away, the fight over money in politics has already started.
On Friday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission and gave the commission seven days to answer a simple question. Has INEC set any limits on how much individuals and groups can donate to political parties and candidates?
The letter, dated August 22, 2026, was addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan. But it was not just about donation limits. SERAP also asked INEC to open the books and show Nigerians the financial records that political parties have submitted over the last three years.
In short, SERAP wants to know where the money is coming from, where it is going, and who is watching.
WHAT SERAP IS ASKING FOR
The first part of the request is straightforward. Under Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC has the power to prescribe limits on political donations. SERAP wants to know if INEC has actually done that.
If there are limits, Nigerians should see them now, not after candidates have already spent billions. If there are no limits, then INEC should say so clearly.
The second part is about transparency. SERAP asked INEC to publish the assets, liabilities, sources of funds and expenditure that political parties submitted between 2023 and 2025. That includes audited accounts, examination reports, and any enforcement actions INEC has taken when parties broke the rules.
The third part is about how monitoring will work in 2027. Elections are not just about cash in envelopes anymore. Money moves through bank transfers, through social media ads, through third parties, through "support groups" that are not officially part of a campaign. SERAP wants INEC to explain how it plans to track all of that.
And SERAP put a deadline on it. Seven days from the date INEC receives the letter. If there is no response, SERAP said it will consider legal action.
WHY THIS MATTERS RIGHT NOW
We are in August 2026. Party primaries are still months away. But if you drive around Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt or Kano, you can already see the signs. Billboards are going up. "Consultation" meetings are happening. Support groups are forming.
In Nigeria, campaigns cost a lot of money. Posters, rallies, media ads, agents, logistics. And that is before we talk about vote buying on election day.
For years, the problem has been the same. We don’t really know who is funding who. Candidates declare something after the election, but by then the damage is done. Voters have already made their choice, and the influence has already been felt.
SERAP’s argument is that donation limits only work if people know them ahead of time. You cannot regulate money after the election and expect it to change how the election was run.
"Excessive spending, unclear funding sources, weak disclosure and limited enforcement have continued to undermine our elections," SERAP said in the request. "Limits should help prevent undue financial influence while the competition is ongoing, not just record it afterward."
That is the core of it. Prevention, not just documentation.
THE LAW SAYS WHAT?
Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2026 gives INEC the power to set limits. The exact figures have been debated for years. Some people want low limits so that only grassroots candidates can compete. Others argue that if limits are too low, candidates will just find other ways to raise money outside the law.
But regardless of what the limit should be, the law assumes that INEC will actually announce one.
Right now, as political activities pick up, many Nigerians do not know what the rule is. Can a businessman donate 500 million naira to a presidential candidate? Can a company donate through 10 different "support groups"? Can donations come in from abroad?
Without clear rules published early, enforcement becomes almost impossible.
THE MONEY TRAIL PROBLEM
Here is where it gets complicated. Campaign finance in 2027 will not look like campaign finance in 2015.
Back then, the big issue was cash. Today, money moves differently.
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Parties run digital ads on Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube. Those ads can be paid for from anywhere.
"Third party" groups run parallel campaigns that are not officially linked to a candidate.
Influencers are paid to promote candidates without it being called a donation.
Cryptocurrency and other digital transfers make tracking harder.
SERAP specifically asked INEC how it plans to monitor cash contributions, in-kind contributions, digital and social media financing, third-party expenditure, and donations through intermediaries.
If INEC does not have a plan for that, then any donation limit on paper will not mean much in practice.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT PARTY FINANCES
The other part of SERAP’s request is about the past.
Political parties are supposed to submit financial reports to INEC every year. Those reports should show how much money came in, where it came from, and how it was spent.
SERAP is asking INEC to publish those reports for 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Why? Because voters deserve to see patterns. Which parties are funded by a few big donors? Which parties rely on small contributions? Which parties are spending most of their money on administration versus campaigns?
INEC is also supposed to audit those reports. SERAP wants to see the audit reports too, and to know what actions, if any, were taken when violations were found.
Without that information, it is hard to have an honest conversation about political finance. We are just guessing.
THE SEVEN-DAY CLOCK
SERAP gave INEC seven days. That is not a long time for a government agency.
The organization said if INEC does not respond, it will go to court to compel disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
This is not the first time SERAP has used FOI requests and lawsuits to push for transparency around elections. In previous cycles, they have gone after INEC, political parties, and even the presidency over spending and accountability.
Whether INEC responds within seven days will be a test. If they do, it will show that the commission is taking campaign finance seriously ahead of 2027. If they don’t, it will give critics more reason to say the rules are not being enforced.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE NO LIMITS?
That is the question a lot of people are asking.
If INEC says it has not prescribed donation limits, then technically there is no cap. That would mean a candidate could receive as much money as they can raise.
In practice, that favors candidates with access to big money. It makes it harder for younger candidates, women candidates, and candidates outside the two major parties.
It also increases the risk of "money politics." When campaigns are extremely expensive, candidates feel pressure to recover the money once in office. That is how corruption cycles start.
On the other hand, setting limits that are too low can also push money underground. Candidates will find other channels. That is why monitoring is just as important as the number itself.
INEC’S CHALLENGE
For INEC, this is a tough moment.
The commission has a lot on its plate. Voter registration, party primaries, security, logistics, technology for results transmission. Adding political finance monitoring is another big job.
But it is also an opportunity. If INEC can show Nigerians a clear plan for how it will track money in 2027, it will build trust. People are tired of elections where the person with the deepest pockets wins.
Professor Amupitan and his team will have to decide how detailed to get. Do they publish a simple number for donation limits? Do they release all the party financials at once? Do they explain the technology and staff they will use to monitor digital spending?
Whatever they do, they will be watched closely.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: 2027 IS ALREADY HERE
Politically, Nigeria is already in 2027 mode.
Governors are aligning. Party leaders are meeting. Aspirants are testing the waters. The media is full of speculation.
And money is moving, even if we cannot always see it.
That is why SERAP’s timing matters. Asking these questions now, before campaigns officially start, gives INEC time to respond and gives the public time to debate.
If we wait until six months to the election, it will be too late. The money will already be spent.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND DEMOCRACY
At the end of the day, this is about fairness.
Democracy works best when voters can choose based on ideas, not just billboards. When a teacher or a nurse can run for office and not be drowned out by a candidate with a billionaire backer.
Transparency does not solve everything. But it helps. If Nigerians can see who is funding who, they can ask better questions. Journalists can investigate. Civil society can hold people accountable.
And if there are clear rules and real enforcement, then candidates will know there are consequences for breaking them.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
So what happens now?
First, watch for INEC’s response in the next seven days. Will they release the donation limits? Will they publish party financials? Will they explain their monitoring plan?
Second, watch the political parties. How will they react to calls for more disclosure? Some will support it. Others will resist.
Third, watch civil society. SERAP is not the only group interested in this. Other organizations will likely file their own requests and push for more data.
And finally, watch the money itself. As 2027 gets closer, we will start to see which candidates have resources and where those resources are coming from.
FINAL THOUGHT
Nigerians have complained for years that elections are too expensive and too opaque.
SERAP’s letter is basically saying, let’s deal with that now.
Give us the rules. Show us the records. Tell us how you will enforce them.
It is a simple request, but it could have a big impact on how the 2027 elections are run.
Whether INEC meets the seven-day deadline remains to be seen. But the conversation has started, and it is not going away.
ZpotHub News will continue to monitor INEC’s response and bring you updates on campaign finance, party activities, and all major developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
What do you think? Should INEC set strict donation limits and publish all party finances before campaigns begin? Or will that just push money into secret channels?
Share your thoughts.
By Solomon Emmanuel |ZpotHub News
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