By Muhammad Mamman
In a bold move to uphold transparency, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), alongside four concerned Nigerian citizens, has launched a high-profile lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The legal action, lodged on Friday at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja under case number ECW/CCJ/APP/35/25, demands the immediate publication of a long-suppressed forensic audit report exposing alleged rampant corruption within the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The forensic audit, commissioned in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari amid swirling allegations of grand-scale malfeasance, reportedly uncovered the misappropriation of a staggering N6 trillion from the NDDC’s coffers between 2001 and 2019.
The audit implicates senior officials and prominent politicians in what could be one of Nigeria’s most audacious corruption scandals. In a particularly explosive claim, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, recently alleged that the wife of a former minister pocketed N48 billion in a single year, purportedly for a programme to “train Niger Delta women.”
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, issued a compelling statement on Sunday, underscoring the gravity of the government’s refusal to disclose the report. “The Nigerian government’s obstruction of this report’s publication is a flagrant violation of the public’s right to truth,” he declared. “This secrecy perpetuates impunity and shields those implicated in the alleged plundering of public funds.”
The plaintiffs—Prince Taiwo Aiyedatiwa, Chief Jude Igbogifurotogu Pulemote, Ben Omietimi Tariye, and Princess Elizabeth Egbe—are seeking a judicial declaration that the government’s failure to release the report breaches Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
Their demands include a court order compelling the administration to publish the document and implement robust measures to address the transparency and accountability deficits plaguing the NDDC’s financial management.
Represented by a formidable legal team comprising Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, the plaintiffs argue that access to the report is not merely a matter of public interest but a fundamental right. “Implicit in the freedom of expression is the public’s entitlement to know what their government is doing on their behalf,” they asserted in their filing. “Without transparency, truth withers, and democratic participation becomes a hollow illusion.”
The lawsuit contends that the Nigerian government has not only withheld the report but also failed to provide any justification for its secrecy, further eroding public trust. The plaintiffs assert that the government is legally bound to uphold transparency and facilitate access to information, particularly when it concerns allegations of systemic corruption within a public institution like the NDDC.
This legal challenge marks a pivotal moment in the fight for accountability in Nigeria’s governance. As the case unfolds, it promises to shine a spotlight on the murky dealings within the NDDC and could set a precedent for transparency across the nation’s public sector. The ECOWAS Court’s ruling will be closely watched, as it holds the potential to reshape the landscape of governance and public accountability in Nigeria.
