Alleged money for Bill: Group faults SERAP’s threat of court action
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin-Hausa Coalition for Development (HAKCOD) in Jigawa State has faulted the decision of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to institute legal action against the leadership of the National Assembly over claims that lawmakers pay bribe before presenting Bills or motions.
It said the “baseless allegations” were attributed to Hon. Usman Kamfani Auyo, the member representing Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin-Hausa Federal Constituency, which he has since denied.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Comrade Abubakar Maje Ahmed, and made available to the The Syndicate in Dutse, HAKCOD expressed deep concern over what it termed “recurring misinterpretations” of the comments by the House of Representatives member.
According to the statement, the controversy dates back to August 2025, when the lawmaker’s comment was “mischievously misinterpreted” by some political opponents.
Hon. Auyo during a media interaction was reported to have said that lawmakers were required to make payments before sponsoring bill or motion in the National Assembly.
“Hon. Usman never made such a claim and has since clarified his statement,” Comrade Abubakar said.
“He only explained that some legislators voluntarily spend up to ₦3 million on consultants to help draft bills or motions before presentation — not as bribes or prerequisites for consideration in the chambers.”
He described the subsequent reports suggesting that legislators pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million to present motions or bills as “deliberate political blackmail” aimed at tarnishing the lawmaker’s reputation.
The statement argued that SERAP’s decision to base legal action on such misinterpretations was “an injustice” to the people of Hadejia, Auyo, and Kafin-Hausa — a constituency with a long-standing history of political, economic, and social contributions to national development.
HAKCOD, therefore, urged SERAP and other concerned parties to “reconsider their stance” and approach the matter with fairness and objectivity in the interest of peace, justice, and political stability.
