National Assembly has responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request filed by AdvoKC Foundation, offering limited disclosure on its legislative activities.

It, however, withheld some details on its multibillion-naira budget and expenditure.

The response by NASS, dated March 2, 2026, was issued by the Legal Services Directorate on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly. It came weeks after AdvoKC initiated a lawsuit at the Federal High Court, seeking full transparency on the Legislature’s finances and operations.

In the letter, the National Assembly provided data relating to the Senate’s activities for the 2024–2025 legislative year, covering June 2024 to May 2025.

According to the document, the Senate held 81 plenary sittings and one joint sitting within the period under review.

However, the response did not address several critical aspects of the FOI request, particularly those relating to budgetary allocations and expenditure. The AdvoKC Foundation had requested comprehensive details of the approved 2023 and 2024 National Assembly budgets, as well as official documentation showing how the funds were utilised.

The organisation also sought legislative records for both chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

While data was provided for the Senate, there was no information concerning the activities of the House of Representatives.

Reacting to the development, the Project Director of AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, described the response as incomplete and insufficient, despite acknowledging it as a step forward.

“We see this partial response as a direct result of legal pressure, but it is far from full compliance. Accountability is not selective.

Nigerians deserve full disclosure, especially when it concerns a budget running into hundreds of billions of naira,” Sheidu said.

He questioned whether the reported number of legislative sittings justified the scale of public funds allocated to the National Assembly, noting that the institution’s 2024 budget stood at approximately ₦344.85 billion.
“Providing sitting records without corresponding financial reports creates the impression of transparency without actually delivering it,” he added.
The lawsuit, filed under Suit No: FHC/L/CS/416/26, remains before the Federal High Court, as the foundation insists that the core elements of its request, particularly budget performance reports, have not been met.
According to AdvoKC, the partial disclosure signals that the information sought is available and should be accessible under the provisions of the FOI Act. The group argued that the National Assembly’s response undermined previous positions, suggesting limitations in providing such records.

The foundation maintains that full transparency is essential to ensuring accountability in public institutions, especially one that exercises significant control over national finances and lawmaking.