Court Declares NASS N110 Billion SUVs, N70 Billion Allowance Unlawful
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has, in a landmark judgment, declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion vehicle and allowance schemes, ruling that the spending of N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members breached procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust.
The court also ordered the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas to ensure that all future procurements or expenditure of public funds by the National Assembly comply strictly with due process requirements and are also guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and value for money.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 by Justice Yellim Bogoro in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1606/2023 brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the National Assembly.
The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last week.SERAP filed the lawsuit in August 2023 against Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas, for themselves and on behalf of members of their respective chambers, following plans to spend N40 billion on 465 vehicles and N70 billion in allowances for new lawmakers amid worsening economic hardship across the country.
In her judgment, Justice Bogoro held that: “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.”
Justice Bogoro also held that: “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.”
