The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to account for the alleged missing ₦18.6 billion earmarked for the construction of the National Assembly Commission Office Complex, as revealed in the 2022 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
In a letter dated 18 October 2025 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP demanded that both leaders disclose the identity of the “fictitious construction company” said to have received the ₦18.6 billion, including the names of its directors, shareholders, and registered address.
The group further queried why the National Assembly failed to comply with the Public Procurement Act by not conducting a needs assessment, public bidding, or issuing a formal contract agreement and bidders’ quotations before the payment was made.
SERAP also called for explanations regarding the alleged ₦6.9 billion inflation of the contract for the “conversion of the roof garden to office space,” and why there was no official approval for the contract’s upward review. It demanded details of the project’s current implementation status.
“These grave allegations by the Auditor-General suggest serious breaches of public trust, the 1999 Constitution, and both national and international anti-corruption obligations,” SERAP stated.
It emphasised that the National Assembly could only perform its oversight and anti-corruption duties credibly if it showed leadership by investigating corruption within its own ranks.
“The National Assembly must uphold transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. Addressing these allegations will strengthen public trust and demonstrate that lawmakers are working in the people’s best interest, not for personal gain,” the group added.
SERAP gave Akpabio and Abbas seven days from the receipt or publication of the letter to act on its demands or face legal action to compel compliance in the public interest.