Stop Lawmakers From Taking Delivery Of 360 SUVs, Group Tells Court

A group has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to stop members of the House of Representatives from taking delivery of 360 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for its members, pending the hearing and determination of the applications for injunction filed by the organization.

The group’s applications for interim and interlocutory injunction followed reports that the lawmakers are set to procure and take delivery of SUVs valued at N57.6 billion. According to reports, each of the SUVs would cost taxpayers at least N160 million.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Kolawole Oluwadare.

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In the applications filed last week, SERAP is seeking “an order of interim injunction restraining the National Assembly from procuring, taking delivery and distributing the SUVs to their members, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an order of interlocutory injunction filed simultaneously in this suit.”

It also seeks “such further order(s) that the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of this suit,” recalling how in August, it filed the suit number FHC/L/CS/1606/2023 before the Federal High Court challenging “the legality of the spending of billions of naira by the National Assembly to purchase exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.”

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The group also sent an open letter to President Bola Tinubu urging him to “put pressure on the leadership of the House of Representatives and stop members from taking delivery of 360 sports utility vehicles (SUVs), pending the hearing and determination of the application for interim injunction.”

“Allowing the National Assembly to go ahead and purchase and take delivery of the SUVs would prejudice the outcome of the suit pending in court and make a mockery of the rule of law,” the letter partly read.

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“Unless you exercise your executive powers and discharge your constitutional oath of office act as recommended, the lawmakers would go ahead to procure and take delivery of the N57.6 billion vehicles, and thereby present the court with a fait accompli.”

“It would invariably hamstring the ability of the court to do justice in the pending suit and applications for injunction.”