Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has secured a major legal victory in a multimillion-naira lawsuit against the National Assembly over unpaid legal fees.
Justice M.M. Adamu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court delivered the ruling on Thursday in suit number FCT/HC/CV/905/2024.
The court ordered the National Assembly to pay Bwala the sum of ₦40 million for legal services he rendered in 2022.
“It is hereby ordered that the defendants pay the claimant the sum of ₦40,000,000 only, being debt owed by the defendants to the claimant for concluded cases,” the judge ruled.
However, the court declined to grant Bwala’s request for additional reliefs, including ₦15 million as the cost of the suit and 10 percent interest on the judgment sum.
Court filings show that Bwala had represented the National Assembly in two high-profile suits.
These include Suit No. FHC/MU/CS/26/22 between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation, and Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/318/2022, filed by activist Daniel Onjeh against the Attorney General.
Bwala stated that his law firm was formally engaged by letters dated March 31, 2022, and that he charged ₦20 million per case, having filed necessary processes, appeared in court within and outside jurisdiction, and prosecuted the matters to a conclusion.
Despite fulfilling his part, Bwala said the National Assembly failed to pay the agreed fees, prompting him to issue a pre-action notice and subsequently file the suit.
In its defence, the National Assembly acknowledged engaging Bwala to represent both the institution and the then-Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, but denied agreeing to the ₦40 million fee.
According to their submission, the appropriate remuneration for such constitutional cases was ₦6.67 million per case, adding that Bwala was only entitled to a total of ₦13.35 million.
The court, however, upheld Bwala’s claim regarding the ₦40 million fee and dismissed the National Assembly’s argument.
Speaking after the judgment, Bwala expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying he resorted to legal action when the new leadership of the National Assembly appeared unwilling to address the matter.
“I am pleased with the court’s decision. I only went to court when it became clear that the matter was being swept under the carpet,” he said.
