AdvoKC Foundation has filed a lawsuit (Suit No: FHC/L/CS/416/26) at the Federal High Court in Lagos against the National Assembly and the Clerk of the National Assembly over refusal to disclose the budget and sessional records of the federal legislature.
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For too long, the inner workings of Nigeria’s highest legislative body have remained shrouded in secrecy. Project Director, AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, who made the disclosure, said despite public commitments by the 10th House of Representatives to mandate the publication of sessional reports and budgets, “our tracking of this promise, through the Promise Tracker NG platform (www.promisetracker.ng) has revealed a stark lack of action. When we sought clarity through the legal channels provided by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, we were met with silence and bureaucratic evasion”.
He said: “This lawsuit is a necessary step for the preservation of democratic governance. Nigerians have a right to know how their resources are being managed and how often their representatives are actually sitting to conduct the business of the people. A budget that cannot be tracked is a budget designed not to deliver.”
Sheidu said on January 8, 2026, AdvoKC Foundation submitted two formal FOI requests to the National Assembly.
“We asked for detailed copies of the approved National Assembly budgets for 2023 and 2024, including personnel, overhead, and capital expenditure components, along with corresponding budget performance reports. We also requested the total number of plenary sittings held by both the Senate and the House of Representatives during the last legislative year, as well as details on any joint sittings.
Under the FOI Act, public institutions are legally required to respond within seven days. The National Assembly failed to provide the information and did not issue any written notice of refusal as required by law.
Through this suit, AdvoKC Foundation is seeking an Order of Mandamus to compel the National Assembly and the Clerk to immediately release these documents. We are asking the court to declare that their refusal to provide this information is wrongful, illegal, and a gross violation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and the 1999 Constitution.
The information we seek is not exempt from disclosure. It is vital for enhancing public understanding of legislative spending, strengthening civic oversight, and deepening the confidence of Nigerian citizens in their government.
“As a youth-led civic tech organisation, AdvoKC Foundation remains committed to using evidence-based advocacy and digital tools like the Promise Tracker NG to ensure that those in power remain accountable to the people they serve. We believe this legal action is in the best interest of justice, fairness, and the future of our democracy.”
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