The AdvoKC Foundation has dragged the National Assembly and the Clerk of the National Assembly before the Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing them of failing to release crucial budgetary and legislative records to the public.
The Civic Tech Group in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/416/26, is seeking a court order compelling the legislature to disclose detailed breakdowns of its approved budgets for 2023 and 2024, as well as comprehensive records of plenary sittings conducted within the last legislative year.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Communications Manager, Luqman Adamu, the civic technology organisation said the legal move followed months of unsuccessful efforts to obtain the documents through formal Freedom of Information requests.
“For too long, the inner workings of Nigeria’s highest legislative body have remained shrouded in secrecy,” the group stated. It added that despite public assurances by the 10th House of Representatives that sessional reports and budget details would be published to strengthen accountability, there had been “a stark lack of action.”
According to the foundation, it formally wrote to the National Assembly on January 8, 2026, submitting two separate FOI requests seeking certified copies of the legislature’s approved budgets for 2023 and 2024. The requests specifically covered personnel, overhead and capital expenditure allocations, along with corresponding budget performance reports.
The organisation said it also tracked the Assembly’s transparency commitments using its digital accountability platform, Promise Tracker NG, but found no evidence that the promised disclosures had been implemented.
Through the lawsuit, AdvoKC is asking the court to grant an Order of Mandamus directing both the National Assembly and its Clerk to immediately release the requested budget documents and plenary records.
As of press time, the National Assembly had not issued any official response to the suit, setting the stage for what could become a defining legal battle over legislative transparency and public access to information.
