Politics
SERAP, 20 Others Sue Akpabio, Abbas, Against Increasing Own Budget
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 20 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas “for unilaterally and arbitrarily increasing the allocation for lawmakers from N197bn to N344bn, their highest since the return of democracy in 1999.”
Biztellers reports that the action was brought against Akpabio and Abbas for themselves and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly.
According to Deputy Director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, the lawmakers had last month raised their allocation from N197bn proposed by President Bola Tinubu to N344bn.
That meant that the lawmakers would in total draw N514bn from the 2024 budget. The lawmakers also in 2023 arbitrarily increased their own budget from the originally proposed N169bn to N228bn, he noted.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/68/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Plaintiffs are asking the court to determine “whether the lawmakers, in the exercise of their powers over appropriation/money bills, can unilaterally increase their own budget without the re-presentation of the budget by the Executive.”
The Plaintiffs are asking the court for “a declaration that the National Assembly, in the exercise of its powers over appropriation/money bills, cannot unilaterally increase its own budget without the re-presentation of the budget by the President in line with section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”
The Plaintiffs are asking the court for “a declaration that the action of the National Assembly, unilaterally increasing its own budget from N197 billion to N344 billion, without the re-presentation of the budget by the President is a breach of the democratic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.”
The Plaintiffs are seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining and preventing the National Assembly from unilaterally increasing its own budget, in the exercise of its powers over all appropriation/money bills, without the re-presentation of such appropriation/money bills by the President in line with the Nigerian Constitution.”
In the suit, the Plaintiffs are arguing that: “Allowing the National Assembly to continue to unilaterally and arbitrarily increase its own budget would fundamentally undermine the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, public trust, and the rule of law.”
The Plaintiffs are also arguing that, “The arbitrary and self-serving increase by the lawmakers of their own allocation offends the Code of Conduct for Public Officers [Fifth Schedule Part 1] of the Nigerian Constitution, oath of office, and the democratic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.”
According to the Plaintiffs, “Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the National Assembly will continue to breach the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the rule of law, and at the expense of millions of Nigerians living in poverty.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP and 20 concerned Nigerians by their lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo.
The petition read in part, “Members of the National Assembly are public officers who have sworn the constitutional oath of office to perform their respective duties in the interest of Nigerian citizens.
“The members of the National Assembly, by unilaterally and arbitrarily increasing their own budget in the Appropriation Bill 2024, without the re-presentation of the budget by the President has violated the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
“Paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers which provides that ‘a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.’
“Members of the National Assembly have put their interest above the public interest and ‘well-being and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, contrary to their oath of office.
“It is a necessary implication of the rule of law that, except where the law gives a discretion to a public functionary, he can only act in accordance with the law, as to do otherwise may enthrone arbitrariness.
“The increase and insertion of line items in the Appropriation Bill 2024 by the National Assembly is not commensurate with the constitutional commitments to public services and goods; decreasing public revenues and increasing level of public debts, and the poor economic and social realities in Nigeria.
“The President presented the Appropriation Bill 2024 made up of N27.5 trillion Naira to the National Assembly on 29 November 2023. The National Assembly on 30th December, 2023 passed the Appropriation Bill 2024 in the sum of N28.7 Trillion.
“That while exercising its legislative powers, the 1st and 2nd Defendants increased the Appropriation Bill by N1.2 Trillion, wherein the 1st and 2nd Defendants unilaterally increased allocations made to the National Assembly in the Appropriation Bill 2024 presented by the President from N197,932,625,616 Billion Naira to N344.85 Billion.
“The President signed the ₦28.7 Trillion Appropriation Bill 2024 into law on 1st January, 2024. The 2024 Budget is in deficit of ₦9.18 Trillion.
“The Budget/Appropriation Act 2024 is yet to be gazetted as at the time of filing this suit and public access to the gazetted 2024 Budget/Appropriation Act is restricted.
“The National Assembly after inserting new line items to the Appropriation Bill 2024 and altering the budgetary allocation to already inserted line items did not submit same to the President for re-presentation by the President before going ahead to present the Appropriation Bill to the President for assent.”
The SERAP and 20 concerned Nigerians are also asking the court for the following reliefs:
“A DECLARATION that the action of the National Assembly, unilaterally increasing the budget of the National Assembly from 197 billion Naira to 344 billion Naira, in the exercise of its powers over Appropriation Bill 2024, without the re-presentation of the budget by the President is a breach of section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Code of Conduct for Public Officers [Fifth Schedule Part 1] of the Nigerian Constitution, Oath of office [Seventh Schedule] and section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION OF THE HONOURABLE COURT restraining and preventing the National Assembly from unilaterally increasing the budget of the National Assembly, in the exercise of its powers over all appropriation/money bills, without the re-presentation of such appropriation/money bills by the President in compliance with section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the democratic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.”
And, “AN ORDER OF THE HONOURABLE COURT directing, compelling and mandating the National Assembly, in the exercise of its powers over all appropriation/money bills, to comply with section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] by sending such appropriation/money bills to the President for re-presentation before the National Assembly in compliance with section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution and the democratic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.”
The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit.
Fresh concerns have emerged over the security of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election after armed hoodlums attacked an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution centre in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
The attack occurred at the Oyinlola DC Primary School, Ward 2 PVC collection centre, where about 10 armed men reportedly stormed the facility, firing gunshots into the air to disperse election officials and prospective voters before fleeing with three packs of PVCs.
SEE ALSO: Political Twist: Osun PDP Drums Support For Tinubu, Adeleke Ahead Of Polls
According to the Osun State Police Command, the attackers remain unidentified. The police said the armed hoodlums invaded the PVC collection centre, fired gunshots into the air to scare away officials and prospective voters, and escaped with the voter cards.
No casualties were recorded during the incident.
The attack has heightened public anxiety ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election, with concerns over the security of electoral materials and the integrity of the voting process.
Although the stolen PVCs are unlikely to be used to cast votes due to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which requires biometric verification before accreditation, stakeholders warn that the incident could still disenfranchise legitimate voters or be aimed at creating fear and disrupting the electoral process.
Security experts have called on INEC, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to intensify investigations, recover the stolen PVCs and bring those responsible to justice.
They also urged election officials to monitor polling units linked to the stolen voter cards and ensure that any attempt to use them on election day is detected and dealt with in accordance with the law.
With the Osun governorship election just days away, the incident has renewed calls for tighter security around electoral facilities to protect the credibility of the electoral process and reassure voters of their safety.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the public display of the personal particulars and academic credentials submitted by candidates for the 2027 general elections, starting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The exercise commenced on Saturday in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires the electoral body to publish candidates’ nomination documents within 21 days of receiving them.
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Documents contained in Form EC9 show that President Tinubu submitted a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University, United States. His transcript indicates the degree was awarded with honours on June 22, 1979.
The records also include his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, showing he served in Oyo State between December 1982 and November 1983.
According to the nomination form, Tinubu’s employment history includes Mobil Nigeria Limited, where he worked from 1983 to 1992 before leaving for “advancement,” the Lagos State Government, where he served until the “legal end of tenure” in 2007, and the Federal Government, where he has served since assuming office in 2023.
The form lists his date of birth as March 29, 1952, his place of birth as Lagos, and his occupation as a politician. While his university qualification is fully stated, the years for his primary and secondary education were entered as “0000.”
Vice President Shettima’s documents outline his educational journey from primary school to postgraduate studies. Records show he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978 before moving to Government Secondary School, Potiskum, where he obtained his WAEC certificate in 1983.
He later graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Agriculture from the University of Maiduguri in 1989 and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.
His NYSC discharge certificate shows he completed national service between October 1989 and October 1990.
Explaining the exercise, INEC stated that “Form EC9 contains the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties.”
The commission said the documents have been displayed at its offices nationwide to allow members of the public to inspect them.
It also reminded Nigerians that the Electoral Act permits interested persons to obtain certified true copies of nomination documents and seek legal redress where allegations of false declaration or forgery arise.
Meanwhile, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections will commence later in accordance with the commission’s revised timetable.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed claims that the ruling party is responsible for the internal crises and defections rocking opposition parties, insisting that Peter Obi’s history of switching political parties predates the APC government.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Yilwatda said Obi had been changing political platforms since 2014 and was never forced out of any party by the APC.
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Responding to allegations that the ruling party had orchestrated divisions within opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, Yilwatda maintained that the APC had no role in Obi’s departures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), or his eventual move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Nobody in APC chased Peter Obi out of PDP. Nobody from APC chased Obi out of the Labour Party. Nobody in APC chased him out of the Labour Party to ADC or chased him out of ADC again to NDC,” he said.
He added that Obi’s pattern of changing political parties began long before the APC assumed power.
“He started moving from his party long before now, during the time of President Jonathan in 2014. It means that APC has been the person chasing him from 2015 till date, when we were even opposition?” Yilwatda said.
The APC chairman described the challenges facing opposition parties as self-inflicted, arguing that many politicians frequently move from one political platform to another in search of opportunities.
“This is a group of people who have a self-inflicted wound. Every day, they move from party to party,” he stated.
Yilwatda also claimed that Obi left the ADC after discovering he could not secure an automatic presidential ticket before joining the NDC, where he eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
“When he left Labour Party, he moved to ADC. He came to ADC, he discovered that he couldn’t get an automatic ticket. That’s why he left to NDC. And in NDC now, he has gotten his ticket,” he said.
He argued that if the APC truly intended to destabilise Obi politically, the ruling party would have prevented him from obtaining the NDC presidential ticket.
Yilwatda further denied allegations that APC members had infiltrated opposition parties to create instability.
“There’s no single member of APC that is in ADC. No single member of APC that is in NDC,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that persuading politicians from other parties to join the APC is part of his responsibility as national chairman.
“Of course, we do it. We move around. That’s even the role. That’s my role as national party chairman. It’s part of my role… To galvanise and mobilise the party,” he added.
The APC chairman also dismissed suggestions that politicians who defect to the ruling party are shielded from corruption investigations.
“Never. Most people who are in APC have still been prosecuted,” he said.
His remarks come amid continued accusations by Obi and other opposition leaders that the APC is fuelling internal crises within rival parties as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
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