The Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) of Nigeria has raised alarm over reports that President Bola Tinubu’s campaign organisation is producing 40,000 customised tablets in China for mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement on November 1, 2026, National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, described the development as a disturbing sign of growing influence of money and material inducements in Nigeria’s politics at a time millions of citizens face economic hardship and government continues to rely on borrowing.
HURIWA demanded to know who is paying for the tablets, the cost of production and distribution, whether funding is from private donors or public resources, who authorised the project and who will account for expenditure.
The group said the tablets will reportedly carry campaign messages in English, Yoruba and Hausa, questioning why a campaign requires such an expensive project and challenging those behind it to disclose financial arrangements.
It warned that Nigeria cannot afford another election where financial muscle and expensive gifts overshadow policy, accountability and democratic competition.
HURIWA condemned the contradiction between capacity to finance tens of thousands of campaign devices and resort to borrowing to meet national obligations, asking whether government has enough for elaborate mobilisation but must borrow for developmental needs.
It insisted no public official or organisation should use taxpayers’ money to finance partisan campaigns and demanded transparent investigation if evidence emerges that public funds or state resources are involved.
The association also accused INEC of failing to show urgency in policing campaign spending ahead of 2027, asking when it will publish its expenditure monitoring framework and begin tracking party finances.
According to HURIWA, INEC cannot wait till after elections to ask questions about spending, but must establish monitoring procedures, demand disclosures and enforce statutory limits.
It similarly challenged EFCC and ICPC over their silence on reports of extravagant political spending and alleged voter inducement, urging them to examine sources of campaign funds and any diversion of public resources.
HURIWA warned that distribution of expensive gifts to influence voters could amount to electoral malpractice and urged INEC and law enforcement to investigate any credible evidence of vote buying.
It stressed that 2027 must not become an auction where the highest spender determines Nigeria’s future.
The group demanded public disclosure from the APC and Tinubu campaign on whether the project is privately funded, its cost, and compliance with electoral and financial regulations.
“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 statement added.