A human rights lawyer, Ayodele Ademiluyi, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja against First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over the donations raised for the completion of the National Library project.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1900/25, also lists as respondents President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, Chinwe Veronica, National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria, the National Library of Nigeria Board, the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council, Zenith Bank Plc, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On September 1, Oluremi Tinubu announced that she would dedicate her 65th birthday celebration to raising funds for the completion of the National Library headquarters. She urged well-wishers to donate to an account domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, under the “Oluremi at 65 Education Fund,” rather than sending cards, cakes, or flowers.
Speaking at a luncheon with State House correspondents on September 21, the First Lady revealed that a total of ₦20,456,188,924 had been raised for the project.
The fundraising initiative has drawn mixed reactions. Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, criticised the move, saying it was improper for a country like Nigeria to rely on birthday donations to fund a critical national institution.
In his suit, Ademiluyi is seeking an order of mandamus to compel the First Lady to disclose details of how the funds will be utilised for the library project. He is also asking the court to direct the EFCC to investigate the dedicated account being used for the fundraising.
Furthermore, the lawyer wants the court to compel President Tinubu to allocate at least 26 percent of the 2026 federal budget to the education sector, with a significant portion dedicated to the National Book Development Centre of the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council.