By Editor
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify the regulatory requirements governing reported donations of campaign vehicles and other logistics by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
HURIWA said it was not alleging that the reported donations were illegal, but wants INEC to explain how such in-kind contributions should be valued, disclosed and reflected in campaign-finance records under Nigeria’s electoral laws and regulations.
The organisation’s call followed reports that Tompolo had provided branded vehicles and other campaign equipment for mobilisation efforts in several states.
According to HURIWA, the reported donations include 50 vehicles to Kano State, 44 to Borno, 34 to Katsina and 25 to Taraba State for house-to-house campaign activities. The group also referred to reported donations of generators and electronic speakers.
In a statement on Monday, HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, said the scale of the reported donations warranted clarification from the electoral regulator.
The organisation said the purpose of its intervention was to ensure transparency in political financing and public confidence in the electoral process.
HURIWA: ‘We are not alleging any offence’
HURIWA stressed that it was not asking INEC to presume that any offence had been committed.
Instead, the organisation wants the commission to state what the law requires when individuals make substantial in-kind contributions to presidential campaigns.
“Is INEC watching?” Onwubiko asked.
“We are not asking INEC to declare that any offence has been committed. We are asking the electoral commission to tell Nigerians what the law requires when an individual donates vehicles and other campaign logistics to support a presidential candidate, particularly when such a donor is a private contractor engaged by the current federal administration and is handling contracts such as securing crude oil pipelines.”
Onwubiko also asked how such donations should be treated for campaign-finance purposes.
“Has the donation been properly declared? How should such in-kind contributions be valued for regulatory purposes? Who is responsible for recording them, and are the applicable campaign-finance limits and disclosure requirements being observed?
“These are legitimate questions for an electoral regulator to answer,” he said.
Group seeks disclosure of campaign resources
HURIWA said the distinction between a lawful political donation and an unreported or improperly accounted-for campaign contribution should be maintained.
It urged INEC to establish the facts surrounding the reported donations and, where necessary, request relevant documentation from the political party, campaign organisation or other responsible entities.
The organisation also said the All Progressives Congress (APC), like every other party participating in the 2027 election, should be able to demonstrate compliance with applicable electoral and campaign-finance requirements.
“Political support is a legitimate part of democratic participation. Wealthy individuals are not prohibited from supporting candidates simply because they are wealthy.
“But democracy also requires transparency. Where material resources are donated for campaign purposes, Nigerians are entitled to know whether those resources are being properly disclosed and accounted for in accordance with the law,” HURIWA said.
The group noted that Tompolo’s business interests and reported involvement in Federal Government contracts did not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing or a conflict of interest.
It said the circumstances, however, made it reasonable for the relevant authorities to ensure that all applicable disclosure and campaign-finance requirements were followed.
HURIWA demands clarity from INEC
HURIWA called on INEC to clarify the rules governing campaign donations, particularly in-kind contributions such as vehicles, generators and electronic equipment.
The organisation wants the commission to state whether such donations must be valued and included in campaign-finance returns, and whether the reported donations have been properly documented and disclosed by the relevant political actors.
It also urged INEC to take any regulatory action that may become necessary if evidence of non-compliance is established.
HURIWA cautioned against prematurely characterising the reported donations as political corruption without examining the facts and applicable laws.
At the same time, it said the electoral regulator should not ignore questions surrounding substantial campaign contributions because they involve supporters of the governing party.
The organisation urged INEC to apply the same standards to the APC and all other political parties and presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
HURIWA said the credibility of the election would depend not only on the conduct of voting and counting, but also on transparency surrounding the resources deployed during political campaigns.
It therefore urged INEC to act proactively and demonstrate that Nigeria’s campaign-finance rules could be applied impartially to donors, political parties and candidates.
