The controversy surrounding the allegation of budget padding in the Nigerian Senate has spread further, as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has refused to let the sleeping dog lie by filing a lawsuit against Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, and other lawmakers to allow an independent investigation into the matter.

The accountability, and non-governmental organisation also called for the immediate recall of PDP Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi, who accused the upper legislature of budget padding during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service. Ningi claimed that the 2024 budget had been padded by more than N3 trillion.

For his utterances, the Senate in a unanimous voice vote on March 12 applied a big hammer on Senator Ningi for granting the interview which indicted lawmakers on the controversial topic of budget padding and slammed him with a three month suspension from the red chambers for breaching parliamentary privilege.

According to Senator Ningi, “a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24 trillion were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491 billion and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth 759 billion were inserted in the budget.”

Despite Ningi’s insistence during his defence on the floor of the Senate that he was misquoted because he spoke in Hausa, he was suspended for three months due to charges of criminal misinformation and violating the peace within the National Assembly and the nation at large.

The Senate decision has sparked several criticisms from Nigerians and civil society organisations, who have accused the Senate of acting as judge and jury in its own case, classifying Ningi’s suspension as a vendetta. They also labelled the Senate’s action as an anti-democratic move that jeopardised the principle of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression in the legislative branch of government.

SERAP has taken a step further by taking the matter to the Federal High Court, naming the Godswill Akpabio as the defendant on behalf of himself and the entire members of senate stating that the matter must be thoroughly investigated, while Senator Ningi must be treated as a whistleblower who deserved protection by the law.

Filed by Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, SERAP lawyers, with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/452/2024, the organisation the asked the court to court grant “An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators.

“An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to immediately take steps to ensure the reinstatement of whistleblower Abdul Ningi, who was suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion.

“An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr. Akpabio to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of Naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”

According to SERAP, “Suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation.”

It argued that: “Granting this application would serve the public interest, encourage whistleblowers to speak up, improve public services, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies and to reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi would be entirely consistent and compatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international obligations.

“The allegations by Senator Ningi amount to public interest disclosures and can contribute to strengthening transparency and democratic accountability in the Senate in particular and the country as a whole.

“Senator Ningi’s status as a whistleblower is not diminished even if the perceived threat to the public interest has not materialised, since he would seem to have reasonable grounds to believe in the accuracy of the allegations of budget padding and corruption in the Senate.”

The suit filed further reads in part: “It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.

“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would help to address the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects.

“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), would also ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.

“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of budget padding and corruption would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”

“Years of allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services.

“Allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have also continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens in several communities and the public interest.

“Combating budget padding would improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services and enhance the ability of ministries, departments and agencies to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

“Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.

“Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.

“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the National Assembly including the Senate to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.

“Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution and sections 13 and 18 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act constrain the ability of the National Assembly to unilaterally insert its own allocations in the budget without following the due process of law.

“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources.

“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on the National Assembly including the Senate to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.

“Article 33 of the Convention requires government institutions including the Senate to ensure the protection of whistleblowers against any unjustified treatment. Granting this application would ensure that these commitments are fully upheld and respected.

“Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator.

“According to our information, Senator Abdul Ningi, the former Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), recently told BBC Hausa that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.

“Senator Ningi reportedly said, ‘For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?

“According to BudgIT, a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491bn, and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth 759bn were inserted in the budget.”

Meanwhile, the court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit. The outcome of the case might establish a precedence on issues around budget padding in the country. There have already been suggestions that the Supreme Court should be asked to interpret the constitution regarding budgeting in order to put an end to the persistent problems with budget padding in the nation. Approaching the problem from the perspective of crime and law enforcement is the second option.