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 at a time many Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship.
In a judgment delivered on May 6, 2026, Justice Yellim Bogoro held that the planned expenditure of N40 billion for the procurement of 465 vehicles for members of the National Assembly and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected lawmakers breached provisions of the Public Procurement Act, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, and the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1606/2023, was filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas on behalf of lawmakers in both chambers.
Justice Bogoro also directed Akpabio and Abbas to ensure that future procurements and expenditures of public funds by the National Assembly comply strictly with due process requirements and are guided by transparency, accountability, and value for money.
According to the certified true copy of the judgment obtained by SERAP, the court found that the scale of the expenditure and the failure to demonstrate compliance with due process made the procurement unlawful.
“Looking at the magnitude of the expenditure, coupled with the absence of demonstrable due process, leads me to conclude that the procurement is arbitrary, disproportionate and inconsistent with statutory procurement standards,” the judge ruled.
The court further held that lawmakers stood to benefit directly from the expenditure they approved, describing the arrangement as a conflict of interest.
“The beneficiaries of the expenditure are the very officials approving it, and the expenditure confers direct pecuniary and material benefits. This, to my mind, constitutes a case of self-dealing and conflict of interest,” Justice Bogoro stated.
In a judgment that highlighted the struggles of ordinary Nigerians, the court took judicial notice of the country’s economic realities and criticised the allocation of public funds for lawmakers’ benefit amid widespread hardship.
“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 prioritise national interest,” the judge said.
Justice Bogoro also rejected the argument that the doctrine of separation of powers shielded the National Assembly from judicial scrutiny, stressing that no arm of government is above the law.
“The doctrine of separation of powers does not operate as a shield for illegality. The court is concerned with the legality and constitutionality of legislative spending,” she held.
The court further ruled that the expenditure undermined the fiduciary duty public officers owe Nigerians, stressing that public office should not be used for personal enrichment.
SERAP had approached the court in August 2023 after reports emerged that lawmakers planned to spend N40 billion on 465 bulletproof vehicles and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members despite worsening economic conditions.
While the National Assembly argued that the expenditure was lawful, duly appropriated, and had already been implemented, the court upheld SERAP’s right to institute the action, reinforcing the growing recognition of public interest litigation in Nigeria.
