The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas. The lawsuit accuses them of failing to halt what SERAP describes as the “unlawful practice” of the National Assembly setting its own allowances and running costs without proper accountability.
SERAP filed the suit on behalf of all members of the National Assembly, following allegations from former President Olusegun Obasanjo that lawmakers were fixing their own salaries and allowances, contrary to the recommendations of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).
In the lawsuit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1289/2024 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is requesting several orders of mandamus. These include directives to Akpabio and Abbas to:
- End the practice of the National Assembly setting its own remuneration and allowances.
- Disclose the specific amounts of monthly running costs paid to lawmakers and the details of these expenditures.
- Stop the practice of paying these running costs directly into the personal accounts of lawmakers.
SERAP argues that the Nigerian Constitution prohibits the National Assembly from determining its own salaries, allowances, and running costs, citing a violation of the Federal Government Financial Regulations which state that public funds should not be paid into private accounts. SERAP also claims that these actions breach the constitutional oath of office and the principles of the UN Convention against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The legal action also seeks to compel Akpabio and Abbas to refer allegations of misuse of running costs to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution where there is evidence.
According to SERAP, ensuring accountability and transparency in how public funds are handled by lawmakers is essential for maintaining public trust in democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.