The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal action against the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, over their alleged failure to halt the National Assembly’s practice of self-determining allowances and running costs.
The lawsuit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1289/2024, accuses the National Assembly of bypassing the recommendations of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC) and unlawfully fixing their remuneration and allowances.
SERAP also demands that the lawmakers disclose the exact amounts of their monthly running costs and how these funds are being spent.
SERAP’s action comes in the wake of allegations made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who recently claimed that Nigerian lawmakers set their own salaries and allowances, contravening constitutional provisions.
The rights group is seeking a court order to compel Akpabio and Abbas to cease the practice and to account for all running costs paid into the personal accounts of the lawmakers.
SERAP argues that this practice is not only unconstitutional but also violates Rule 713 of the Federal Government Financial Regulations, which states that public money should not be paid into private bank accounts.
“The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] clearly make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances and running costs,” SERAP stated in the lawsuit.
The group further argues that the actions of the lawmakers undermine public trust and are detrimental to the national interest, calling them “entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the constitutional oath of office.”
SERAP’s legal filing is supported by statements from Nigerian Senator Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South Senatorial District, who revealed in a recent interview that each senator earns approximately N21 million monthly in running costs, salaries, and allowances, with only about N600,000 constituting their official salary after deductions.
In addition to seeking an end to the alleged illegal practices, SERAP is requesting that the court direct Akpabio and Abbas to refer any evidence of misuse of running costs to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and potential prosecution.
The group emphasizes that Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption require public officials, including lawmakers, to act with integrity and transparency, especially in the management of public resources.
As the case moves forward, SERAP is pushing for greater accountability and transparency within the National Assembly, arguing that ending these practices would bolster public confidence in Nigeria’s legislative institutions.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
