A group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 20 other concerned Nigerians have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to declare that the National Assembly has no constitutional powers to increase its budget unilaterally.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to determine whether the lawmakers, in the exercise of their powers over appropriation and money bills, can unilaterally increase their budget without the re-presentation of the budget by the executive.
They further prayed the court for a declaration that the action of the National Assembly, in which it unilaterally increased its budget from N197 billion to N344 billion without the re-presentation of the budget by the president, is a breach of the democratic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.
The plaintiffs sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining and preventing the National Assembly from unilaterally increasing its budget in the exercise of its powers over all appropriation/money bills without the re-presentation of such appropriation/money bills by the president in line with the Nigerian Constitution.
The respondents in the suit are the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, and speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who are sued for themselves and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly.
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP and the 20 concerned Nigerians by their lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare.
