Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas over “the failure to account for the missing ₦18.6 billion meant for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Office Complex”.
Akpabio and Abbas are sued for themselves and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly. Joined in the suit as respondent is the National Assembly Service Commission.
SERAP’s lawsuit followed the grave allegations documented in the latest 2022 annual report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on 9 September 2025.
In the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025, filed last week at the Federal High Court, on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, the group is seeking: “an ‘order of mandamus’ to direct and compel Akpabio, Abbas and the NASC to account for the whereabouts of ₦18.6bn meant for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission Office Complex.”
SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio, Abbas and the NASC to disclose the name of the alleged ‘fictitious construction company’ that collected ₦18.6 billion for the construction of the National Assembly Commission Office Complex.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Akpabio, Abbas and the NASC to provide the assessment reports, bid advertisements, bid quotations and construction contract, minutes of Tender Board’s meetings and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approval for the complex project”.
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that, “The allegations that ₦18.6 billion meant for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission Office Complex is misappropriated or diverted are a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and international anti-corruption standards”.
SERAP is also arguing that, “Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the ₦18.6 billion and details of the contractors that collected the money. Granting the reliefs sought would serve legitimate public interests.”
According to SERAP, “Directing and compelling Akpabio, Abbas and the NASC to account for and explain the whereabouts of the ₦18.6 billion and details of the contractors that collected the money would build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law”.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
