The Independent National Electoral Commission says preparations for the 2027 general election have delayed its response to an Auditor-General query involving N126.46 billion in electoral expenditure.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission had not been able to respond as quickly as it would have preferred because of the workload associated with election preparations.
He said INEC intended to provide a response in due course.
The Auditor-General’s report raised questions about spending recorded between January and December 2022, with some transactions extending to December 2023.
The report alleged that more than N126.46 billion in electoral expenditure involved procurement concerns or goods and services whose delivery could not be fully established.
Those findings remain audit allegations requiring formal response from the commission.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project subsequently gave INEC seven days to account for the expenditure or face legal action.
INEC has not conceded wrongdoing.
The issue is likely to attract further scrutiny because the commission is preparing to manage another nationwide election cycle while also facing demands for transparency over previous election spending.
Haruna said the commission would answer the Auditor-General’s concerns despite the current operational pressures.
