2023: Political parties not permitted to receive funds from abroad —INEC

Political parties in Nigeria are not permitted to accept funding from other nations, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which made this announcement on Friday.

Parties are not permitted to receive donations anonymously, according to Festus Okoye, the INEC National Commissioner, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The clause may have an impact on parties like the Labour party that have relied on Nigerians living abroad to contribute to a portion of their campaign funding.

He said, “Section 225 of the Nigerian constitution makes it clear that no registered political party in Nigeria shall possess any funds outside the country.

“By law, no registered political party in Nigeria can operate a foreign account or receive funds from abroad. They cannot also receive funds donated anonymously.

“In other words, a political party cannot open an account and have monies remitted into that particular account outside the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Secondly it makes it clear that no political party shall under any circumstance retain any funds remitted to it outside the country.

“And if such funds are remitted to the political party from outside the country, that particular political party has a constitutional and legal obligation to turn in such funds to INEC within a period of 21 days from the date of receipt of such funds.”