N126bn INEC allegation: Arewa Think Tank urges probe, cautions against blame on Amupitan

The Arewa Think Tank has called for a thorough investigation into the alleged ₦126.46 billion financial irregularities cited by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cautioning against linking the allegations directly to the commission’s current chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.

The group’s Convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, said allegations contained in an audit report should not be treated as established personal wrongdoing until the relevant transactions are investigated and those responsible identified.

SERAP, in a letter dated September 12, 2026, issued INEC a seven-day ultimatum to account for more than ₦126.46 billion which it alleged was diverted, mismanaged, irregularly paid or otherwise unaccounted for.

SERAP said the allegations were contained in the 2023 audited report of the Auditor-General of the Federation and demanded details of the payments, beneficiaries, contracts, procurement processes and evidence of delivery and utilisation of the goods and services involved.

Reacting yesterday, Yakubu said it was important to establish the period covered by the transactions before attributing responsibility to the current INEC leadership.

“An allegation contained in an audit report is not the same thing as a judicial finding of guilt. We must allow the relevant institutions to investigate the transactions, identify the officials who were responsible at the material time and establish the facts before anyone is pronounced guilty,” he said.

He noted that the transactions cited by SERAP largely relate to expenditures and procurement processes between January and December 2022 and, in some cases, extending to December 2023.

Yakubu said the relevant authorities should therefore establish who occupied the offices concerned at the time, who authorised the payments and who handled the procurement processes before determining responsibility.

“Professor Joash Amupitan should not be made a scapegoat for every historical transaction within INEC. If there are questions arising from previous expenditures, let the records speak,” he said.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General raised concerns over more than ₦112 billion allegedly spent on ballot boxes, electoral devices, items and materials without competitive bidding or a Bureau of Public Procurement Certificate of No Objection.

The organisation also cited alleged payments of more than ₦1 billion for Toyota Prado vehicles, over ₦3 billion to four contractors for ballot guides and sensitive electoral materials, and more than ₦9 billion for 22 contracts involving similar goods and services, among other transactions.

Yakubu said the size of the alleged financial irregularities made a comprehensive investigation necessary, stressing that accountability should not be compromised.

“If ₦126 billion is genuinely unaccounted for, Nigerians deserve answers. Nobody should shield corruption or financial misconduct. But accountability must be based on evidence, not assumptions,” he said.

He welcomed SERAP’s demand for investigation, saying the Auditor-General, EFCC, ICPC and other relevant agencies should establish whether the contracts were properly awarded, whether goods and services were delivered, whether procurement rules were breached and whether public funds were lost.

The group also urged INEC under Amupitan to cooperate with any legitimate investigation and make available relevant records, saying transparency remained the best way to resolve the controversy.

“The best defence is transparency. INEC should open its books to the appropriate authorities and provide whatever documentation is required. If there were irregularities, they should be exposed. If the transactions were legitimate, the evidence should equally establish that,” Yakubu said.

He, however, cautioned civil society organisations and the public against turning the allegations into political ammunition, saying institutional responsibility should not automatically be equated with personal culpability.

“A new chairman inherits an institution, including its records and unresolved issues. That does not automatically mean he is responsible for every decision taken before his tenure,” he said.

Yakubu said civil society groups had a legitimate role in demanding accountability but should ensure that allegations were presented fairly, urging stakeholders to allow competent institutions to establish responsibility.

“This is not about defending corruption. It is about defending due process and fairness. Nobody should be above the law, but nobody should also be condemned without evidence,” he said.