The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, for allegedly failing to explain the whereabouts of ₦18.6 billion allocated for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) office complex.
Akpabio and Abbas are being taken to court in a representative capacity for all members of the National Assembly, while the National Assembly Service Commission is also listed as a respondent.
The case follows serious allegations highlighted in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2022 annual report, which was released on September 9, 2025.
In the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025 filed last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, Mr Abbas and the NASC to account for the whereabouts of N18.6bn meant for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission Office Complex.”
SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, Mr Abbas and the NASC to disclose the name of the alleged ‘fictitious construction company’ that collected N18.6 billion for the construction of the National Assembly Commission Office Complex.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, Mr Abbas and the NASC to provide the assessment reports, bid advertisements, bid quotations and construction contract, minutes of Tender Board’s meetings and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approval for the complex project.”
The rights group argue that, “The allegations that N18.6 billion meant for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission Office Complex is misappropriated or diverted are a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), and international anticorruption standards.
“Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the N18.6 billion and details of the contractors that collected the money. Granting the reliefs sought would serve legitimate public interests.
“Directing and compelling Mr Akpabio, Mr Abbas and the NASC to account for and explain the whereabouts of the N18.6 billion and details of the contractors that collected the money would build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part: “the National Assembly ought to live up to its constitutional responsibilities by upholding and defending the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
