SERAP ₦3m bribe-for-bills lawsuit seeks court order compelling Akpabio and Abbas to investigate alleged bribe payments by lawmakers

SERAP ₦3m bribe-for-bills lawsuit has been filed against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas over the alleged failure to probe claims that lawmakers pay up to ₦3 million to sponsor or present bills, motions, and petitions at the National Assembly.

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, following a viral video in which Ibrahim Auyo, a House of Representatives member from Jigawa State, alleged that legislators pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million to present legislative items.

Filed last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja (Suit No. FHC/L/CS/2214/2025), the case seeks an order of mandamus compelling Akpabio and Abbas to refer the allegations to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.

SERAP, through its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, argued that the alleged bribery scheme constitutes a “grave violation of public trust and the constitutional oath of office.”

According to the statement, “Lawmakers should not have to pay bribes to present motions or bills. Bribery should never influence legislative duties or the running of the National Assembly.”

The organisation said the allegations of ₦3m bribe-for-bills undermine Nigeria’s democracy and mock the intent of Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution, which vests legislative powers in the National Assembly.

SERAP is also asking the court to compel the National Assembly leadership to protect Ibrahim Auyo as a whistleblower under Article 33 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The group described Auyo’s disclosures as public-interest whistleblowing, quoting him as saying:

“Since I was elected in 2015, no individual has given me a bill to pass. Even the bills and petitions are paid for. You have to pay from ₦3 million, ₦2 million, or ₦1 million to present it.”

SERAP emphasised that compelling Akpabio and Abbas to authorise an independent probe would help restore public trust in Nigeria’s legislature and strengthen accountability in governance.

“The National Assembly must serve as a transparent, accountable institution that protects the public interest rather than enables corruption,” the statement added.

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No date has been fixed for the hearing of the SERAP ₦3m bribe-for-bills lawsuit, but the group insists that investigating the claims is crucial to upholding integrity in the country’s legislative process.