**Asks who is paying, accuses INEC of inaction, challenges EFCC ICPC to act
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised the alarm over reports that President Bola Tinubu’s campaign is producing 40,000 customised tablets in China for mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement on Sunday signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group called the reported project a disturbing sign of the growing role of money and material inducements in Nigerian politics.
It noted that millions of citizens are struggling with economic hardship while the Federal Government keeps borrowing to fund public spending.
HURIWA asked who is paying for the tablets, how much they will cost, whether the money comes from private donors or public resources, and who authorised the project.
The tablets will reportedly carry campaign messages in English, Yoruba and Hausa before being distributed to supporters.
The group questioned why a campaign needs such an expensive exercise, and asked whether the administration can afford it while borrowing to meet development needs.
It warned that no public official or party should use taxpayers’ money for partisan campaigns, and demanded a transparent investigation if credible evidence emerges that state resources are involved.
HURIWA also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to show the urgency needed to police campaign spending.
It asked when the commission will publish its expenditure monitoring framework and begin tracking the finances of parties and candidates, saying it must enforce spending limits before money overwhelms the process.
The group challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to explain their apparent silence on reports of extravagant political spending and alleged voter inducement. It urged both agencies to examine the sources of campaign funds and the procurement of costly campaign materials, and warned that handing out expensive gifts to sway voters could amount to electoral malpractice, depending on the circumstances.
HURIWA said the 2027 election must not become an auction won by the highest spender, and that the APC and the Tinubu campaign must publicly say whether the project is privately funded, how much it costs and whether it complies with electoral and financial rules.
“Nigeria is not a private estate, public funds are not campaign war chests, and INEC must not surrender its constitutional responsibility to powerful political interests,” the group said.
The statement carried no response from the Tinubu campaign or the APC, and the tablet report has not been independently verified.