The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Wednesday that foreign donations to political parties in Nigeria are not permitted.
Party donations cannot be made anonymously, according to Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner, who was speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The clause could be a setback for the Labour Party, which has been recruiting Nigerians living abroad to help fund some of its campaigns.
“Section 225 of the Nigerian constitution makes it clear that no registered political party in Nigeria shall possess any funds outside the country,” Okoye said.
He added: “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.”
