SERAP Sues President Tinubu Over Unexecuted N167 Billion Contracts

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over the alleged failure to prosecute contractors who received over N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without executing any projects.

The suit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/121/2025), seeks a court order compelling President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun, to disclose the names of the companies involved and ensure they face legal action. Also named as a respondent in the case is the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

SERAP’s Demands

SERAP is urging the court to direct:

• The public disclosure of the names of companies and contractors who collected the funds.
• The publication of project details, including locations, amounts received, and shareholders of the implicated firms.
• The prosecution of those responsible to prevent further corruption.

The group argues that failing to hold these contractors accountable has worsened poverty and denied Nigerians access to critical public goods and services. According to SERAP, the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation revealed that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) alone paid out N100 billion for unexecuted projects.

A Call for Accountability

SERAP insists that enforcing accountability will:

• Combat fraud and waste in public spending.
• Strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts under local and international laws.
• Restore public trust in governance and ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds.

The case highlights growing concerns over financial mismanagement in government agencies, with affected MDAs including the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Pension Commission, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

While a hearing date is yet to be scheduled, the lawsuit could set a legal precedent for greater transparency and accountability in government contracts.