A lawsuit against has been filed against the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, over their failure to account for the spending of the N14 trillion fuel subsidy savings they allegedly collected from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The suit was filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) following reports that the 36 governors and the FCT minister have collected trillions of Naira from FAAC allocations as fuel subsidy savings since mid-2023.
However, the increased allocations have allegedly not translated into improved access to quality healthcare and education for poor and vulnerable Nigerians as promised.
In the suit number FHC/L/MSC/1424/2025 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr Wike to disclose the details of the spending of the increased FAAC allocations being savings from the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023.”
The organisation asked the court to compel the governors and Mr Wike to disclose details and the location of the projects executed, if any, with the increased FAAC allocations from the savings from the removal of fuel subsidy.
It noted that, “Opacity in the spending of the increased FAAC allocations from fuel subsidy savings collected by the governors and Mr Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens,” arguing that the savings from the removal of fuel subsidy ought to be spent solely for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade and Ms Valentina Adegoke, also said, “There is a significant risk of mismanagement or diversion of funds linked to the increased FAAC allocations collected by the states and FCT.”
“The spending details of the money collected by several states and the FCT from fuel subsidy savings have been mostly shrouded in secrecy.
“Millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians have not benefited from the trillions of naira collected by the governors and FCT minister from as a result of the subsidy savings. Nigerians continue to face a worsening poverty crisis,” the group alleged.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.