BY PATRICK MGODO
THE Social Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives for not probing allegations of bribe-for-bills in the National Assembly.
In a statement posted on X (former Twitter), yesterday, SERAP said it has dragged the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to court following allegations that lawmakers bribe to sponsor or present bills, motions, and petitions at the National Assembly. SERAP said its actions were premised on allegations by a member of the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Auro, that members of the National Assembly pay between N1m and N3m to perform their foremost constitutional duty.
According to SERAP, ‘’We’ve filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, over the failure to probe the allegations that lawmakers pay up to ₦3 million to sponsor or present bills, motions, and petitions at the National Assembly.
‘’Our suit followed the recent allegations by Ibrahim Auro, a member of the House of Representatives (APC, Jigawa), in a viral video recorded in Hausa that members of the National Assembly pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million each to sponsor or present bills, motions, and petitions at the National Assembly.
‘’The allegations of ‘₦3m Bribe-for-Bills’ at the National Assembly are a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office by lawmakers.
‘’Lawmakers should not have to pay bribes to present motions and bills at the National Assembly. Bribery should never have any influence on the exercise of legislative duties or the running of the National Assembly.
