President Tinubu faces fresh legal war over "N70bn giveaway to lawmakers"

President Bola Tinubu has been confronted with a fresh legal hurdle for budgeting N70 billion for new lawmakers to cushion the effects of their working conditions.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) announced on its Twitter page on Friday, July 14, that it will challenge the President's decision at the court.

Details of N70bn President Tinubu's palliative for lawmakers

On Thursday, July 13, the National Assembly approved the President's request and passed the amendment act to the N819.5 billion 2022 supplementary budget, which approved the N70 billion for the new lawmakers.

The amendment of the supplementary budget also approved N500 billion in palliatives for Nigerians to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

According to the amended act, the N70bn will be shared by the new lawmakers in both the upper and lower chambers.

Why SERAP drags President Tinubu to court

But SERAP, in a tweet on Friday, described the allocation as a "giveaway" to the new lawmakers and vowed to challenge the move in court.

The tweet reads: "We're suing the Tinubu administration over its unlawful giveaway and allocation of N70 billion to the National Assembly at a time when some 137 million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy."

Recall that the leadership of the 10th national assembly has vowed to work with the executives in support of the president's agenda to reform the country since its inauguration in June.

See tweet below

BREAKING: We're suing the Tinubu administration over its unlawful giveaway and allocation of N70 billion to the National Assembly at a time when some 137 million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy.

— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) July 14, 2023