Court declares N110 billion SUVs, allowances for lawmakers unlawful

The Federal High Court in Lagos has declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion expenditure on vehicles and allowances for lawmakers, ruling that the spending violated procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust.

Although the judgment was delivered on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, by Justice Yellim Bogoro, details of the ruling were sighted by Nairametrics on Sunday.

The case stemmed from a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in August 2023 against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.

The lawsuit challenged plans by the National Assembly to spend N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and allocate an additional N70 billion as support allowances for newly elected members at a time of mounting economic hardship across the country.

What the court is saying

In her judgment, Justice Bogoro held that the scale of the expenditure, combined with the failure of the National Assembly to demonstrate compliance with due process requirements, rendered the procurement arbitrary, excessive and inconsistent with public procurement regulations.

The judge further found that the lawmakers who approved the expenditure were also its direct beneficiaries, creating a clear conflict of interest and raising concerns about self-dealing in the management of public resources.

• “I have taken judicial notice of the economic realities in Nigeria and the widespread financial hardship affecting Nigerian citizens. In this context, the allocation of N110 Billion for the benefit of lawmakers demonstrates a failure to prioritize national interest,” Justice Bogoro said.

The court also held that the expenditure represented a breach of the fiduciary responsibility public officials owe Nigerians and was inconsistent with the constitutional oath of office taken by lawmakers.

• “The allocation of N110 Billion for the benefit of lawmakers also undermines the fiduciary duty owed to the Nigerian people. Public office must not be used for personal enrichment. Public Officers must act within constitutional boundaries and in good faith. I hold that the conduct complained of is inconsistent with the oath of office,” the judge added.

More insights 

Justice Bogoro granted several reliefs sought by SERAP, including declarations that the proposed N40 billion expenditure on 465 bulletproof vehicles for senators and members of the House of Representatives violated the Public Procurement Act, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and the constitutional oath of office.

• The court also ruled that the N70 billion support allowance allocated to new lawmakers under the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act, which was signed into law in 2023, breached constitutional and statutory obligations requiring public officials to act in the public interest and safeguard public resources.

In practical terms, the judgment affirms that both expenditures were inconsistent with the standards of transparency, accountability and responsible use of public funds expected of elected officials.

Justice Bogoro further ordered the leadership and members of the National Assembly to ensure that all future procurement processes and public expenditures strictly comply with due process requirements and are guided by transparency, accountability and value-for-money principles.

What you should know 

On August 13, 2023, Nairametrics reported that SERAP had dragged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas before the Federal High Court over what it described as an unlawful plan to spend N40 billion on 465 luxury and bulletproof vehicles for lawmakers and principal officers, alongside N70 billion earmarked as support allowances for newly elected members.

The lawsuit followed public criticism of comments attributed to Akpabio indicating that holiday allowances had been paid into senators’ accounts at a time when millions of Nigerians were grappling with the effects of subsidy removal, rising inflation and worsening poverty.

• SERAP asked the court to compel the National Assembly leadership to review and reduce the N40 billion vehicle budget, prevent lawmakers from receiving the funds pending an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the spending, and direct the repeal of provisions that would effectively reduce the legislature’s budget by N110 billion.

According to court filings, SERAP maintained that the proposed N110 billion expenditure was separate from the National Assembly’s existing budget and inauguration expenses, and that redirecting the funds toward public welfare would be more consistent with lawmakers’ constitutional obligations and the country’s prevailing economic realities.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion expenditure on vehicles and allowances for lawmakers, ruling that the spending violated procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust.

Although the judgment was delivered on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, by Justice Yellim Bogoro, details of the ruling were sighted by Nairametrics on Sunday.

The case stemmed from a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in August 2023 against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.

The lawsuit challenged plans by the National Assembly to spend N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and allocate an additional N70 billion as support allowances for newly elected members at a time of mounting economic hardship across the country.

What the court is saying

In her judgment, Justice Bogoro held that the scale of the expenditure, combined with the failure of the National Assembly to demonstrate compliance with due process requirements, rendered the procurement arbitrary, excessive and inconsistent with public procurement regulations.

The judge further found that the lawmakers who approved the expenditure were also its direct beneficiaries, creating a clear conflict of interest and raising concerns about self-dealing in the management of public resources.

• “I have taken judicial notice of the economic realities in Nigeria and the widespread financial hardship affecting Nigerian citizens. In this context, the allocation of N110 Billion for the benefit of lawmakers demonstrates a failure to prioritize national interest,” Justice Bogoro said.

The court also held that the expenditure represented a breach of the fiduciary responsibility public officials owe Nigerians and was inconsistent with the constitutional oath of office taken by lawmakers.

• “The allocation of N110 Billion for the benefit of lawmakers also undermines the fiduciary duty owed to the Nigerian people. Public office must not be used for personal enrichment. Public Officers must act within constitutional boundaries and in good faith. I hold that the conduct complained of is inconsistent with the oath of office,” the judge added.

More insights 

Justice Bogoro granted several reliefs sought by SERAP, including declarations that the proposed N40 billion expenditure on 465 bulletproof vehicles for senators and members of the House of Representatives violated the Public Procurement Act, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and the constitutional oath of office.

• The court also ruled that the N70 billion support allowance allocated to new lawmakers under the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act, which was signed into law in 2023, breached constitutional and statutory obligations requiring public officials to act in the public interest and safeguard public resources.

In practical terms, the judgment affirms that both expenditures were inconsistent with the standards of transparency, accountability and responsible use of public funds expected of elected officials.

Justice Bogoro further ordered the leadership and members of the National Assembly to ensure that all future procurement processes and public expenditures strictly comply with due process requirements and are guided by transparency, accountability and value-for-money principles.

What you should know 

On August 13, 2023, Nairametrics reported that SERAP had dragged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas before the Federal High Court over what it described as an unlawful plan to spend N40 billion on 465 luxury and bulletproof vehicles for lawmakers and principal officers, alongside N70 billion earmarked as support allowances for newly elected members.

The lawsuit followed public criticism of comments attributed to Akpabio indicating that holiday allowances had been paid into senators’ accounts at a time when millions of Nigerians were grappling with the effects of subsidy removal, rising inflation and worsening poverty.

• SERAP asked the court to compel the National Assembly leadership to review and reduce the N40 billion vehicle budget, prevent lawmakers from receiving the funds pending an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the spending, and direct the repeal of provisions that would effectively reduce the legislature’s budget by N110 billion.

According to court filings, SERAP maintained that the proposed N110 billion expenditure was separate from the National Assembly’s existing budget and inauguration expenses, and that redirecting the funds toward public welfare would be more consistent with lawmakers’ constitutional obligations and the country’s prevailing economic realities.