Ayodele Ademiluyi, a human rights lawyer, has filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja against Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady, over the donation towards the National Library project.
Those joined in the suit are the president, attorney-general of the federation, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, Chinwe Veronica, national librarian/chief executive officer of National Library of Nigeria; National Library Of Nigeria Board; Nigerian Educational Research Development Council; Zenith Bank PLC; and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On September 1, the first lady announced that she would dedicate her 65th birthday, celebrated on September 21, to the completion of the National Library project.
Remi had appealed to friends and supporters who may wish to send cards, cakes, flowers, newspaper messages or other presents to send funds to an account designated for the library project.
The initiative, she said, is being coordinated by the federal ministry of education under the “Oluremi at 65 Education Fund,” in an account domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc.
Speaking at a lunch with state house correspondents on Tuesday to mark her 65th birthday, Oluremi said N20,456,188,924 has been raised for the completion of the project.
The initiative of the first lady elected varied reactions.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, said it was wrong for a nation like Nigeria to depend on birthday donations to complete a critical national institution.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ademiluyi said he had filed a suit with the number — FHC/L/CS/1900/25 — to compel the first lady to discuss how the donation will be used for completion of the national library headquarters.
According to the lawyer, the suit seeks an order of mandamus compelling the EFCC to probe the account being used for the project.
The suit also seek an order of court compelling President Bola Tinubu to “allocate at least 26 percent of the 2026 budgetary allocation to the federal ministry of education and by extension a serious percentage thereof to the National Book Development Centre of the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council”.
