Socio-economic rights and accountability project (SERAP) has sued Nigeria’s governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, over their failure to account for the N14 trillion fuel subsidy savings they collected from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations, including details of projects executed with the money, and the completion reports on the projects.

The suit followed reports that the 36 governors and the FCT minister have collected trillions of naira from FAAC allocations as fuel subsidy savings since mid-2023. But the increased allocations have not translated into improved access to quality healthcare and education for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

In the suit number FHC/L/MSC/1424/2025 filed at the weekend, SERAP is asking the court to direct and compel the governors as well as Wike to disclose spending details of the FAAC allocations being savings from the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023.

SERAP is also asking the court to compel the governors and the FCT minister to disclose details and the location of the projects executed, if any.

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds, including fuel subsidy savings, are spent by the governors and the FCT minister.

According to SERAP, the constitutional principle of democracy also provides a foundation for Nigerians’ right to know the spending details of the said funds.

SERAP is arguing that citizens’ right to know promotes openness, transparency, and accountability, which is, in turn, crucial for the country’s democratic order.
The group is also arguing that there is a legitimate public interest for the governors and the FCT minister to urgently explain how they have spent the money they have so far collected from the subsidy savings.

The organisation stressed that opacity in the spending of the allocations would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of citizens.

The body is also arguing that the savings from the removal of fuel subsidy ought to be spent solely for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.

“Transparency in the spending of the money would help to avoid a morally repugnant result of double jeopardy on these Nigerians,” the group said.