SERAP Demands Akpabio, Abbas Explain Alleged ₦18.6bn National Assembly Complex Contract Scandal

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to provide a detailed account of how ₦18.6 billion allegedly spent on the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission office complex was utilized.

In a statement released on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP demanded that the National Assembly leadership disclose the name of the company that received the payments, along with the identities of its directors, shareholders, and registered address. The organisation also urged them to address alleged breaches of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act, including the lack of needs assessment, public bidding, and necessary approvals from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The rights group based its claims on findings from the 2022 annual report of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which revealed that over ₦11.6 billion was paid in August 2020 to an “unknown construction company” for the project, while an additional ₦6.9 billion was reportedly paid in November 2023 for the “conversion of the roof garden to office space.” The report noted that both contracts were allegedly inflated and awarded without due process or documentation.

SERAP warned that the missing funds may have been misappropriated, diverted, or stolen, describing the situation as a serious violation of public trust and Nigeria’s anti-corruption obligations. The group maintained that holding those responsible accountable would demonstrate that the National Assembly is genuinely serving the public interest.

The organisation gave the National Assembly seven days to respond to its demands or face legal action to compel transparency. It also urged that the matter be referred to relevant anti-corruption agencies for investigation and recovery of any missing funds, insisting that full disclosure would help restore public confidence in the legislature’s commitment to transparency and accountability.