The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a major lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), demanding full accountability for the ₦18.6 billion allocated for the National Assembly service commission office complex in Abuja.
Akpabio and Abbas were sued personally and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly, following damning revelations in the 2022 Auditor-General’s Annual Report, published on 9 September 2025. The report flagged the entire ₦18.6bn spending as unjustified, unsupported, and unaccounted for.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025, seeks a court order compelling the National Assembly leadership and NASC to explain the whereabouts of the funds, disclose the name of the alleged “fictitious construction company” that received the payments, and release all documents related to the project.
SERAP is also demanding assessments, bid advertisements, quotations, contract agreements, minutes of the Tender Board meetings, and Federal Executive Council (FEC) approvals for the project.
According to the organisation, the alleged diversion or mismanagement of the ₦18.6bn is a grave breach of public trust, a violation of the Nigerian Constitution, and a direct breach of international anti-corruption standards. SERAP insists that Nigerians have a right to know how the funds were used and who collected the money.
The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo argues that the National Assembly must uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, especially when managing public resources.
The Auditor-General’s report revealed that over ₦11.6bn was paid to an “unknown construction company” in 2020 for the complex project, with the contract allegedly inflated by an additional ₦6.9bn paid in 2023.
The report further noted that both contracts were awarded without a Bill of Quantity (BOQ), without needs assessment, without newspaper advertisements, without bidding, without quotations, and without FEC approval.
There was also no Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Certificate of No Objection. The Auditor-General fears the entire ₦18.6bn may have been diverted or stolen and wants a full account of the money.
SERAP added that corruption continues to worsen poverty in Nigeria, denying vulnerable citizens access to essential services.
The group emphasised that the National Assembly has a constitutional duty to protect public funds, ensure transparency, and uphold anti-corruption laws.
The organisation also highlighted Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption, which require proper management of public resources and strict accountability from public institutions.