SERAP To Sue Akpabio Over Holiday Bonus For Senators

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has stated that it will file a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the distribution of holiday bonuses to senators amid the economic hardship in the nation.

Earlier this week, Akpabio announced to the senators during a plenary session that the clerk of the National Assembly had sent a token to their various bank accounts to “enable them to enjoy their holidays”.

At the time, Akpabio was unaware that the plenary session was being televised live, and when he was alerted, he withdrew the statement.

SERAP announced its decision to sue the Senate President in a brief statement on its X profile on Thursday.

“We’re suing the Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the alleged payments of “holiday allowances” by the Clerk of the National Assembly into the “various accounts” of senators while some 137 million poor Nigerians face severe economic hardship,” SERAP said.

Details of the lawsuit, like the specific charges, have not been revealed yet.

Clips of the Senate President announcing the holiday bonus to the senators have been trending online, sparking outrage among Nigerians because it comes at a time when more than 60% of the country’s population is plagued by economic hardship.

Akpabio has yet to release an official statement or say anything regarding the incident.