SERAP issues ultimatum to Akpabio, Abbas over N110bn ‘unlawful’ spending

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas seven days to compel federal lawmakers to refund N110 billion spent on vehicle procurement and support allowances, expenditure recently declared unlawful by a Federal High Court.

In a letter dated June 20, 2026, the civil society organization demanded that both legislative leaders “ensure that members of the Senate and House of Representatives refund and return to the public treasury all monies, allowances, and benefits derived from the N110 billion vehicle procurement and support allowance schemes.”

The ultimatum follows a landmark judgment by Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which found that the spending, comprising N40 billion for 465 official vehicles and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members, violated procurement laws, constitutional obligations, and the public trust.

SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, who signed the letter, argued that while the judgment did not explicitly order restitution, it provided “a compelling factual and legal basis” when considered alongside constitutional provisions, anti-corruption legislation, and Nigeria’s international human rights commitments.

“Where a court has found that public funds were expended in breach of procurement laws, constitutional provisions, and in circumstances involving self-dealing and conflict of interest, the rule of law requires that such benefits be immediately reversed and fully accounted for,” the letter stated.

Beyond the immediate refund, SERAP called on the National Assembly leadership to: Establish effective compliance mechanisms for all future procurements to ensure strict adherence to due process, transparency, and value-for-money principles; institutionalize public hearings on legislative budgets during every budget cycle and proactively publish detailed budgetary and expenditure information to enhance transparency, strengthen public confidence, and promote meaningful citizen participation.

The organization cited Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates the State to “abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power,” as well as constitutional principles of accountability and good governance binding all public officials.

SERAP warned that failure to act within the seven-day window would trigger “all appropriate legal actions” to secure recovery of the unlawfully expended funds in the public interest.

“No public official should be permitted to retain benefits obtained through conduct that has been judicially determined to be unlawful and unconstitutional,” Oluwadare emphasized. “Restitution is necessary to uphold the rule of law, restore public trust, and ensure accountability for violations of constitutional and statutory duties.”

The organization stressed that allowing lawmakers to retain benefits derived from conduct declared unlawful by the courts would be “entirely inconsistent with the constitutional duty to abolish corrupt practices” and would undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.