Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has condemned alleged deductions from states’ allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the re-election campaign of President Bola Tinubu, describing the move as unconstitutional and “the greatest crime against Nigeria.”
In a statement released on Wednesday , Adeyanju argued that any deduction of statutory allocations at source for political campaigns raises serious constitutional and criminal concerns.
According to him, Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly states that FAAC allocations are public funds belonging to the states as federating units and must be used for the benefit of the people, not for partisan political interests.
The lawyer further maintained that any contribution amounting to billions of naira could violate the donation limits provided under the Electoral Act 2022, which places restrictions on political contributions by individuals and entities.
He alleged that if public funds were diverted for campaign financing, such actions could amount to criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of office, and economic sabotage against the affected states.
Adeyanju also faulted the alleged lack of transparency and the absence of public consent regarding the use of the funds, insisting that citizens whose resources are involved deserve accountability.
He called on anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to immediately investigate the allegations, recover any diverted funds, and prosecute anyone found culpable in accordance with the law.
The activist stressed that public resources must not be converted into tools for political campaigns, warning that such actions undermine democratic governance and public trust in government institutions.
