The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion vehicle procurement and allowance schemes, describing the expenditure as a violation of procurement laws, constitutional obligations, and public trust.
In a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Yellim Bogoro, the court ruled that the planned expenditure of N40 billion for the purchase of 465 vehicles for lawmakers and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members failed to meet the requirements of due process and transparency.
The court further directed the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to ensure that all future procurement processes and public spending by the National Assembly strictly comply with legal provisions governing accountability, transparency, and value for money.
The judgment was delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1606/2023, filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) following concerns over the proposed spending at a time many Nigerians were facing severe economic hardship.
Justice Bogoro held that the scale of the expenditure, combined with the absence of demonstrable due process, rendered the procurement arbitrary, disproportionate, and inconsistent with statutory procurement standards.
The court also found that lawmakers who approved the expenditure stood to benefit directly from it, describing the arrangement as a case of self-dealing and conflict of interest.
According to the judgment, public officials entrusted with managing public resources must act in the best interests of citizens and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in all government spending.