The House of Representatives has summoned Ibrahim Auyo, a lawmaker from Jigawa State, to provide evidence to back his claim that members pay as much as N3 million to present bills, motions, and petitions on the floor of the Green Chamber.
Auyo, who represents Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa Federal Constituency under the All Progressives Congress, stirred controversy after a video of him addressing his constituents in Hausa went viral.
In the footage, the lawmaker told the gathering that legislators pay between N1 million and N3 million to get their proposals presented and that lobbying fellow lawmakers to pass them requires additional resources.
“Even the bills and petitions are paid for. You have to pay from N3 million, N2 million, or N1 million to present it,” Auyo said.
“And after you present the bill, you must follow up by lobbying the whole 360 members of the house to accept the bill.”
The remarks drew swift condemnation from the House leadership, which described the allegations as “unsubstantiated” and damaging to the image of the National Assembly.
In a statement issued on Friday, the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, said Auyo would be invited to defend his comments when the parliament reconvenes.
“These allegations, if left unclarified, risk undermining public confidence in the National Assembly,” Rotimi stated. “Statements of this nature must be backed by verifiable facts and presented through the appropriate parliamentary channels.”
He stressed that the legislature operates under transparent procedures for introducing bills and motions, guided by the Constitution, House Standing Orders, and parliamentary ethics.
“The insinuation that sponsoring a motion or bill is a ‘contract job’ involving bribes is inconsistent with these processes,” Rotimi added.
Should Auyo fail to provide convincing evidence, the matter will be referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for possible sanctions.
In the same viral video, the lawmaker defended his record on youth empowerment, claiming that 80 per cent of his constituency projects were targeted at young people. He also accused some beneficiaries of selling empowerment items given to them.
The National Assembly has over the years been enmeshed in controversies over alleged opacity in lawmakers’ earnings, constituency projects, and claims of bribery in legislative processes.
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