SERAP

By Uzair Adam

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to account for N55.9 billion earmarked for election materials used in the 2019 general elections.

The suit follows damning revelations contained in the latest annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025, which raised concerns that the funds may have been missing or diverted.

In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 and filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling INEC to provide a full account of how the N55.9 billion was spent.

The money was reportedly meant for the procurement of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive election materials.

SERAP is also urging the court to direct INEC to disclose the identities of all contractors paid from the funds, including details of their directors and shareholders.

According to the organisation, transparency and accountability are essential if INEC is to regain public trust and effectively discharge its constitutional duty of conducting free and fair elections.

SERAP argued that unresolved allegations of corruption would undermine the commission’s ability to administer future elections impartially.

The group further stated that failure to address the issues, prosecute those allegedly involved and recover the funds would amount to a breach of Nigerians’ right to participate in credible elections, adding that the allegations point to abuse of public office and a disregard for the rule of law.

The suit, filed on SERAP’s behalf by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, described the findings of the Auditor-General as a serious violation of public trust, the 1999 Constitution and international anti-corruption standards.

SERAP cited portions of the Auditor-General’s report which alleged that INEC irregularly paid over N5.3 billion to a contractor for the supply of smart card readers without approvals from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) or the Federal Executive Council, and without evidence that the items were supplied.

Although INEC reportedly claimed the procurement was exempted on national security grounds, the Auditor-General dismissed the explanation as inconsistent with the Procurement Act.

The report also raised concerns over payments of more than N4.5 billion to six contractors for ballot papers and result sheets without documentation, as well as other alleged infractions involving stamp duties, unretired cash advances, questionable contract awards and inflated vehicle purchases.

In several instances, the Auditor-General reportedly expressed concern that public funds “may have been diverted” and recommended their recovery and remittance to the treasury.

No hearing date has been fixed for the suit.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The controversy surrounding the reported alteration of newly signed tax reform laws has continued to draw sharp reactions across the country, as civil society groups, political figures and regional organisations demand clarity and accountability.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and several northern groups have called for an investigation into alleged illegal changes made to the tax laws, which are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. President Bola Tinubu recently signed the laws.

Concerns emerged after some lawmakers, led by Sokoto lawmaker Abdussamad Dasuki, claimed that the versions of the tax bills gazetted differed from the harmonised copies passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In response to the allegations, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, set up a seven-member committee chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Mukhtar Betara, to examine the claims.

Prominent political leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi, have urged the Federal Government to suspend implementation of the reforms until the matter is resolved.

The Presidency, however, dismissed the allegations and maintained that the reforms would proceed as planned.

In a statement issued on Sunday, SERAP urged President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to release certified true copies of the tax bills received from the National Assembly, the versions signed into law, and those eventually gazetted.

The organisation listed the affected legislations as the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act; and the Nigeria Tax Act.

SERAP also asked the President to instruct the Attorney General to clarify whether the bills forwarded by the National Assembly were identical to the versions assented to and gazetted. It further called for the immediate constitution of an independent panel of inquiry to investigate claims of material differences between the bills passed by lawmakers and the laws published by the Federal Government.

In a Freedom of Information request dated December 20, 2025, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said the panel should determine how the alleged alterations occurred and identify those responsible.

According to SERAP, the panel should be chaired by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal, with its findings made public. It added that those found culpable should face prosecution.

“The panel should have the mandate to establish the facts of what exactly occurred and identify those suspected to be responsible for the alleged alterations.

‘’The proposed panel should be headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria or the Court of Appeal. The findings of the panel should be made public. Anyone responsible for the alleged alterations must face prosecution, as appropriate.

”The organisation stated that publishing certified true copies of the bills and laws would allow Nigerians to compare them with the gazetted versions.

“Widely publishing a certified true copy of the version of the tax bills received from the National Assembly and a certified true copy of the tax laws signed by you would allow Nigerians to scrutinise the laws and compare them with the version of the tax laws ultimately gazetted,’’ it added.

SERAP warned that any unlawful changes would breach the 1999 Constitution (as amended), international human rights law, and the principles of separation of powers and the rule of law.

By Uzair Adam

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to explain the whereabouts of N825 billion and $2.5 billion allegedly allocated for refinery rehabilitation and other oil-related revenues.

The lawsuit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/722/25), seeks a mandamus order compelling NNPCL to account for the missing funds. SERAP also wants the company to recover and remit the money into the Federation Account.

The group further requests that the court direct NNPCL to identify individuals responsible for the missing funds, surcharge them, and hand them over to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.

SERAP’s action follows the revelations in the 2021 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on November 27, 2024.

The report raised concerns about several unaccounted financial transactions involving the NNPCL.

Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, recently echoed similar concerns, suggesting that the NNPCL refineries may never work again, despite \$18 billion reportedly spent on them.

According to SERAP, the allegations point to gross violations of public trust and various legal obligations, including those enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and international anti-corruption frameworks.

The suit details several financial discrepancies. Among them are over N82 billion deducted from crude oil sales for refinery repairs between 2020 and 2021, and more than N343 billion from domestic crude sales, reportedly for pipeline maintenance.

The Auditor-General fears these amounts may have been diverted and recommends their recovery.

Other flagged transactions include N83 billion from NNPC joint venture operations withdrawn from a suspense account, over N204 billion in unjustified deductions from oil royalties, and more than N3.7 billion paid to a company as a shortfall on PMS cargo sales.

The audit report also highlighted N28 billion in outstanding bridging allowances from NNPC retail, over N13.5 billion from three major oil marketers, and over N15 billion owed by 26 marketers—all from 2021.

Further, the NNPCL reportedly failed to collect over $2 billion and N48 billion in outstanding royalties from oil companies for the same year, a situation the Auditor-General says has likely hindered budget implementation.

SERAP’s legal team, comprising Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Oni, and Valentina Adegoke, emphasized in the court filing that the missing funds underscore a broader issue of systemic accountability failure within the NNPCL.

By Uzair Adam

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over its recent decision to increase Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction fees, calling it “unlawful, unfair, unreasonable, and unjust.”

The CBN recently introduced a new charge of N100 per N20,000 withdrawal from an ATM not located within a bank’s branch premises.

Additionally, withdrawals at shopping centers, airports, and standalone cash points will attract a N100 fee along with a surcharge of up to N500 per N20,000 withdrawal.

In a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking a judicial review of the CBN’s decision, arguing that the policy contradicts the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018.

The organization wants the court to declare the fee hike illegal and issue an injunction preventing its enforcement.

According to SERAP, the increase disproportionately affects low-income Nigerians, creating financial barriers for those who rely on ATMs for daily transactions.

The group further claims that the move violates constitutional provisions, consumer protection laws, and international human rights obligations.

SERAP’s legal team, led by Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, asserts that the new charges should be borne by banks and their shareholders rather than being passed onto consumers.

They argue that the CBN is acting in a manner that prioritizes banks’ profits over the welfare of Nigerians, with many banks declaring substantial annual profits.

The lawsuit also challenges the CBN’s authority to unilaterally impose such fees without the consent of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). SERAP is urging the court to nullify the CBN’s circular on the fee hike and restrain banks and financial institutions from implementing the charges.

A date for the hearing of the case has not yet been set.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over what it described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable” increase of 50% in telecom tariffs.

The NCC recently approved the increase, raising the cost of a one-minute call from N11 to N16.5, the price of 1GB of data from N287.5 to N431.25, and SMS charges from N4 to N6.

In a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025), SERAP argued that the hike violates citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international treaties.

According to a statement released on Sunday by SERAP, titled “SERAP wants court to stop Tinubu govt, telcos from implementing 50% telecom tariff hike,” the organization stated: “The unilateral decision by the NCC to approve a 50% hike in telecom tariffs is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unfair. This action contravenes both the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 and international human rights standards.”

SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Sa’id there is a failure in consultiu key stakeholders like the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission before implementing the hike.

He added, “The NCC’s action undermines citizens’ right to seek, receive, and impart information through communication media without discrimination.”

SERAP also lamented the economic challenges Nigerians face, referencing a report by the National Bureau of Statistics that revealed 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor.

The statement noted, “This tariff hike is happening at a time when Nigerians are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. Many are struggling to afford basic necessities, let alone higher communication costs.”

The organization is seeking a court declaration that the hike violates constitutional provisions and an injunction to halt its implementation.

SERAP is also calling for the nullification of the NCC’s decision, describing it as “extortive, unreasonable, and a breach of due process.”

Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, said, “Access to communication is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right. The government and the NCC have a duty to ensure that telecommunication services remain affordable, especially for the millions of Nigerians living in poverty.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has been given a 72-hour deadline by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to rescind the decision to block the mobile connections of 72 million Nigerians.

SERAP tells the president to order the Minister of Communications, Isa Ali Pantami, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to immediately revoke the seemingly unlawful decision to prevent over 72 million active telecommunication subscribers from making calls on their SIMs.

Recall that the Federal Government ‘directed’ telecoms firms this week to stop outgoing calls on all unlinked lines after the verification deadline passed on March 31.

Over 72 million users have been prevented from making calls as a result of the directive.

SERAP, on the other hand, said that prohibiting people from making calls constituted an infringement on their right to free expression.