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Following the filing of a federal lawsuit by the AdvoKC Foundation, the National Assembly has issued a formal response to our Freedom of Information (FOI) request. While the letter marks a crack in the wall of silence that has stood since January, it notably evades the most critical questions regarding the institution's multi-billion naira budget and performance.
The response, dated March 2, 2026, and signed by the Legal Services Directorate on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, provides data on the Senate’s activities for the last legislative year (June 2024 – May 2025). According to the document, the Senate held 81 plenary sittings and one joint sitting during that period.
While AdvoKC acknowledges this initial step, the response is glaringly incomplete. Our original FOI request and the subsequent lawsuit (Suit No: FHC/L/CS/416/26) demand transparency across three key pillars:
The National Assembly’s reply remained completely silent on the ₦344.85 billion budget performance and provided zero data regarding the House of Representatives.
“We see this partial response as a direct result of legal pressure, but it is far from full compliance,” said Habib Sheidu, Project Director at AdvoKC Foundation. “Accountability isn't a menu where you pick and choose what to disclose. Nigerians deserve to know if 81 days of sittings justify a ₦344 billion allocation. Providing sitting dates while hiding the spending reports is an attempt to give the appearance of transparency without the substance.”
The AdvoKC Foundation views this letter as an admission that the information requested is indeed available and disclosable under the FOI Act, contrary to previous evasions. However, because the Respondents have failed to provide the budget performance reports, which is the core of our pursuit, the lawsuit remains active.
“Our commitment is to the 10th House of Representatives' own Legislative Agenda, which promised mandated publication of budgets and outcomes,” Sheidu added. “Until the 'Black Box' of NASS spending is opened to the Nigerian public, our prayers before the Federal High Court stand.”
AdvoKC remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that public institutions are held to the highest standards of the law. We will continue to update the public as the legal process unfolds and as we push for a legislature that is truly open to the people it serves.