A coalition of legislative lawyers operating under the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has filed a suit before the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, demanding that Nigerian senators refund a significant portion of their salaries and allowances earned since 2023, citing poor legislative performance.
The lawyers are also seeking full refunds from 40 senators accused of holding memberships concurrently in the Nigerian Senate and the ECOWAS and Pan-African Parliaments, arguing that such dual roles violate Nigerian laws.
A pre-action notice dated May 26, 2025, signed by ALDRAP’s secretary, Amuga Williams, and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, states that Nigerian constituents are “consumers” of legislative services and asserts ALDRAP is acting on their behalf.Titled “Pre-action Notice: Demand Made Pursuant to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018, for Refund of 78% of the Total Salaries and Allowances Obtained by Each of the 109 Senators from May 2023 to May 2025 for 12% Performance and Delivery of Their Statutory Duties to Constituents (Consumers), and Refund of All Salaries and Allowances Obtained by the 40 Senators Who Abandoned Their Duties at the National Assembly to Serve in the ECOWAS and Pan-African Parliaments — A Violation of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution,”ALDRAP states, “We represent the constituents (consumers) of legislative services provided by the 109 senators of Nigeria and demand the refund of 78% of all salaries and allowances collected from May 2023 to May 2025 (estimated at ₦15 million monthly per senator). We also seek full refunds from the 40 senators holding concurrent memberships in foreign parliaments.
The coalition claims that data shows the 10th Senate has delivered only about 12 percent of its expected performance since its inauguration in May 2023.
They warn that if the demands are not met within seven days, legal action will be initiated at the Tribunal.In an affidavit filed on Tuesday, ALDRAP accused the Senate of failing to fulfill its constitutional duties of lawmaking, oversight, and effective representation, as outlined in Sections 4, 88, and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
The affidavit also references an open letter by legislative law expert Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja to Senate President Akpabio and Senate Leader Bamidele, dated May 26, 2025. Jaja criticized the Senate for passing laws like the National Anthem Act, 2024, and extending the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police without public input, as well as passing the Rivers State emergency declaration law without the required two-thirds majority—violating constitutional provisions.
He also condemned the Senate’s tendency to prioritize executive-sponsored bills over private members’ bills and its failure to advance legislation on pressing issues such as insecurity and agriculture.Jaja further condemned a statement reportedly made by the Senate President in March 2024, suggesting that senators are not elected to “fight” the Executive, which ALDRAP views as a breach of the separation of powers.
The group also highlighted what it described as punitive measures against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, including her suspension for six months without due process—an action alleged to violate Senate rules and judicial precedents—and claims of ongoing legal suits, media smear campaigns, and criminal prosecutions aimed at intimidating her.
ALDRAP also criticized the 40 senators who have actively participated in ECOWAS and Pan-African Parliament sessions since April 2024 while still drawing salaries as Nigerian lawmakers, raising concerns over conflicts of interest and double remuneration.Citing a report by the parliamentary monitoring organization OrderPaper from October 2024, ALDRAP noted that more than 50 percent of Senate bills between June 2023 and May 2024 were recycled from previous assemblies. Of 464 bills introduced in the first year, only 19 were passed; between May 2024 and May 2025, only 7 of 341 bills were enacted.
In the House of Representatives, only 114 of 1,727 bills filed by December 2024 were passed.Bills on agriculture and food security constituted only about 6-7 percent of legislative focus, and security-related bills made up just over 5 percent in both chambers.
ALDRAP warned that unless the Tribunal enforces refunds of public funds and upholds constitutional accountability, the culture of legislative underperformance and dual office-holding will persist, ultimately harming Nigerian citizens’ interests and eroding public trust.
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