Tension over the 2026 budget stalled proceedings at the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers abruptly adjourned plenary without considering a single item on the day’s Order Paper.
Although no official explanation was provided, sources within the chamber suggested that the session centred on the expiration of the one-week ultimatum issued to the Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as the Accountant General of the Federation, to clear outstanding debts owed to indigenous contractors.
President Bola Tinubu had anticipated that the House of Representatives would on Tuesday approve his administration’s request to borrow ₦1.15 trillion to fund the 2025 budget deficit.
However, that expectation was dashed as lawmakers, aggrieved over issues reportedly relating to their own welfare and constituency funding, refused to consider the request.
At Tuesday’s plenary, members expressed disgust at the Federal Government’s failure to release funds to execute the capital components of the 2024 and 2025 budgets following the one-week deadline it gave last week.
Before plenary, Ismaila Dabo (Toro, Bauchi) raised alarm over lawmakers’ poor welfare on the House’s WhatsApp group.
He said despite the National Assembly budget rising from under ₦160 billion to about ₦360 billion, many members struggle to pay rent, visit constituencies, or repay loans.
Dabo blamed excessive committees under Speaker Abbas for weak oversight and decried huge disparities between Principal Officers and ordinary members — some handling ₦50 billion projects while others have unfunded ₦1 billion portfolios.
The North Central lawmaker said Dabo’s message was discussed at a closed-door session, alongside Speaker Abbas’s meeting with the President. According to him, the President pledged to fund the balance of the 2024 budget and half of 2025’s but cited heavy debt servicing as a constraint. He sought House approval for a ₦1.15 trillion loan to bridge funding gaps, but the request was not approved.
Following the uproar, the Speaker denied any mismanagement of funds.
The PUNCH