SERAP Dares Governors: Account for Security Votes or Face Legal Action
In a powerful move to champion transparency and combat pervasive insecurity, the Socio-Economic Rights and Poverty Alleviation Project (SERAP) has issued a direct challenge to all 36 state governors across Nigeria: publicly account for the billions of naira allocated as "security votes" since May 29, 2023, or face legal consequences.
In separate Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated June 28, 2025, and signed by SERAP's Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the prominent civil society organization demanded immediate and detailed disclosure of how these substantial public funds have been spent. SERAP further urged the governors to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly investigate, track, and monitor the disbursement of these funds.
The Driving Force: Insecurity and Unaccounted Funds
SERAP's call comes amidst a backdrop of escalating insecurity and recent tragic killings, particularly highlighted by the massacre in Benue State. The organization argues that despite the enormous sums budgeted annually for security votes, many governors are "grossly failing to guarantee and ensure the security and welfare of the people in their states," a blatant violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
"The Nigerian Constitution does not envisage opaque spending of public funds under the guise of security votes," SERAP stated, emphasizing that the intense secrecy surrounding these funds has significantly contributed to large-scale corruption and undermined public trust in governance. The group cited figures, noting that in 2021 alone, state governors and local government chairmen reportedly received over N375 billion in security votes, yet insecurity remains widespread and the funds largely unaccounted for.
Supreme Court Backing for Transparency
Crucially, SERAP reminded the governors of a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered in April 2025. This pivotal ruling unequivocally affirmed the applicability of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011 to all tiers of government, including states and their institutions. This judgment dismantles the long-held excuse by some states that the FoI Act does not apply to their records unless domesticated by state laws.
"The judgment sends a powerful message that state governors can no longer escape accountability for how they spend security votes," SERAP asserted. "Disclosing details of spending public funds as security votes by your state would serve to engage the Nigerian people in an honest conversation about the security problems in several states and what the governors are doing to respond to them."
A Seven-Day Ultimatum and Legal Threat
SERAP has given each governor seven days from the date of receipt or publication of the FoI request to comply. The organization issued a clear warning: failure to respond within this timeframe would compel SERAP to take "appropriate legal actions" to compel compliance in the public interest.
The organization stressed that the public interest in disclosing this information far outweighs any considerations for withholding it. They argued that the pervasive tendency of governors to treat security votes as personal entitlements is "antithetical to the Nigerian Constitution and international standards," emphasizing that such funds should either be used for improving security or returned to the public treasury.
SERAP's latest move highlights the ongoing struggle for accountability and transparency in Nigeria's public sector, particularly concerning funds often shrouded in secrecy and linked to allegations of corruption, even as insecurity continues to plague communities across the nation.
