All presidential candidates from political parties have been urged by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), to disclose the source of their campaign funding.
Kolawole Oluwadere, the deputy director of SERAP, expressed concern in a statement about the lack of campaign money, which he believes exposes some of the candidates to unscrupulous inclinations.
“We are concerned about the vulnerability of political parties to corruption. Disproportionally large donations seeking specific outcomes or preferential treatment can subvert the wider public interest”.
SERAP notes that allowing Nigerians to know the source of financing would help them hold any candidate and political party involved accountable
”SERAP would consider appropriate legal actions to hold you and your political party to account for any infractions of the requirements of campaign funding, as provided for by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act and international standards, even after the 2023 elections”.
“SERAP urges you to sign ‘transparency pacts’ that would mandate you to disclose the identities of donors and widely publish donations and contributions including on your party website and social media platforms.”
“Opacity in campaign funding can distort the electoral competition and lead to state capture by wealthy politicians and individuals, and encourage politicians to divert public resources for political purposes.” The statement reads.
SERAP encourages INEC, ICPC, and EFCC to keep an eye on your political party’s spending on political campaigns in accordance with the UN Convention against Corruption, which the nation has accepted.
