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Lawmakers alleged to pay up to ₦3m to present bills, motions
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SERAP writes Akpabio, Abbas, seeks immediate referral to anti-graft agencies
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Group warns of legal action if leadership fails to act in 7 days
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to refer allegations of bribery in the National Assembly to the EFCC and ICPC.
In an open letter dated August 16, 2025, signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the group described the allegations as “a grave violation of public trust and lawmakers’ constitutional oath of office.”
A viral video by Ibrahim Auyo (APC, Jigawa), a House member, alleged that legislators pay between ₦1m and ₦3m to present bills, motions, or petitions at plenary.
“Lawmakers should not have to pay bribes to perform their constitutional duties. Bribery should never influence legislative work,” SERAP said.
The group urged Akpabio and Abbas to name anyone implicated, recover proceeds of bribery, and protect Auyo as a whistleblower.
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SERAP also cautioned that if no action is taken within seven days, it would seek legal redress “in the public interest.”
The organisation stressed that referring the matter to anti-graft agencies would “improve public trust in the leadership of the National Assembly.”
Auyo had claimed: “You have to pay from ₦3 million, ₦2 million, or ₦1 million to present [a bill]. And after you present the bill, you must follow up by lobbying the whole 360 members of the House to accept the bill.”
