Court Declares National Assembly’s N110bn SUV, Allowance Spending Unlawful

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

Judge Yellim Bogoro, in a judgment delivered on May 6 but reported this week, held that the planned expenditure of N40 billion on 465 vehicles and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected legislators was arbitrary, disproportionate and inconsistent with statutory procurement standards.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which filed the suit in August 2023 against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, said the ruling confirmed that the doctrine of separation of powers cannot be used as a shield for illegality.

Lawmakers guilty of conflict of interest

The judge found that the lawmakers who approved the expenditure were themselves the beneficiaries of it — placing them in a position of 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,” Judge Bogoro ruled.

The court also took judicial notice of Nigeria’s economic hardship, saying the allocation of N110 billion for lawmakers’ benefit at a time of widespread financial difficulty reflected a failure to prioritise the national interest.

Procurement law breached

The judge held that the National Assembly leadership failed to produce any credible evidence of compliance with procurement procedures, competitive bidding requirements or value-for-money assessments under the Public Procurement Act. The court ruled the expenditure breached Section 57(4) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and the constitutional oath of office taken by all National Assembly members.

Among the reliefs granted, the court declared that the N40 billion vehicle procurement and N70 billion support allowance both violated the law. It also ordered that all future National Assembly expenditure must comply strictly with due process and principles of transparency, accountability and value for money.

The judgment is significant for public finance accountability in Nigeria, establishing that even the highest legislative offices are subject to judicial review when spending violates the law.

Sources: Premium Times, NewsCentralTV, NewsDiaryOnline, The Eagle Online, The Liberation News