The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, for failing to investigate allegations that lawmakers in the National Assembly pay up to ₦3 million to sponsor or present bills, motions, and petitions.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, follows a viral video by Ibrahim Auyo, a member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, who alleged that legislators are required to pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million before they can present or sponsor any bill or motion.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/2214/2025, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order compelling both Akpabio and Abbas to refer the bribery allegations to anti-corruption agencies for proper investigation and prosecution. The group also seeks an order to ensure that Auyo, who exposed the claims, is protected as a whistleblower under international and local laws.
SERAP maintains that the alleged payment system for legislative activities is a gross abuse of public trust and a clear violation of the constitutional duties of lawmakers. The organization argues that no public officer should have to pay bribes to perform their legislative functions and that such practices erode democratic principles and the integrity of the National Assembly.
According to the group, the bribery allegations, if true, undermine public confidence in the lawmaking process and breach Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws and international obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which the country is a signatory to.
The organization insists that the National Assembly should serve as a transparent and accountable institution that represents the interests of Nigerians rather than a place where corruption thrives. It further states that ending such allegations and ensuring accountability are matters of public interest and a step toward restoring trust in democratic governance.
SERAP’s legal representatives, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, submitted that Auyo’s revelations expose how public officers allegedly abuse their positions to deny citizens their constitutional rights to transparent and fair representation.
The group urges the court to compel the leadership of the National Assembly to take concrete steps toward investigating and prosecuting those involved, arguing that such action would promote integrity, transparency, and accountability within the legislative arm of government.
The court has not yet fixed a date for the hearing of the case.