A Federal High Court in Lagos has declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion expenditure on vehicles and support allowances for lawmakers, ruling that the spending violated procurement laws, constitutional principles, and the public trust.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Yellim Bogoro in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1606/2023, arose from a lawsuit filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project against the National Assembly over plans to spend N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members.
The court held that the procurement process failed to meet legal standards and described the expenditure as arbitrary and disproportionate. According to the judgment, the scale of the spending, coupled with the absence of demonstrable due process, rendered the procurement inconsistent with statutory procurement requirements.
Justice Bogoro further ruled that the arrangement amounted to self-dealing and a conflict of interest because the beneficiaries of the expenditure were the same officials responsible for approving it. The court noted that the spending conferred direct financial and material benefits on lawmakers, undermining principles of accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
The court also directed the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to ensure that all future procurement processes and expenditures undertaken by the National Assembly strictly comply with due process requirements and are guided by transparency, accountability, and value for money.
SERAP disclosed that it instituted the legal action in August 2023 following public concerns over the proposed expenditure at a time of worsening economic hardship across Nigeria. The organisation argued that the planned spending was unjustifiable and contrary to the public interest.
The certified true copy of the judgment, delivered on May 6, 2026, was sighted on Sunday, marking a significant judicial intervention in the oversight of public spending by the National Assembly.
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