Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and 302 Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the leadership of the National Assembly over the recent hike in electricity tariff and fuel price.

This was made known in a statement by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, titled ‘SERAP sues Buhari, NASS, wants court to declare electricity tariff, fuel price hike illegal’.

The Federal Government had on September 1 announced a total removal of subsidy from the price of the Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol and thereby pushed the price per litre of petrol to N151.

On August 19, 2020, the FG also announced an increment in the electricity tariff per kilowatt to be paid by Nigerians.

The statement noted that the Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, were joined in the suit as defendants.

In the suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/330/2020, filed last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja, they are asking the court to “declare illegal, unconstitutional and unfair the recent hike in electricity tariff and fuel price because top-level public officers cannot continue to receive the same salaries and allowances and spend public money to finance a life of luxury for themselves while asking poor Nigerians to make sacrifices.

An order directing and compelling the RMAFC to cut the salaries, allowances and other emoluments payable to President Buhari, Professor Osinbajo, Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila, in line with the current economic realities, and principles of justice, fairness, equality, and non-discrimination.”