The cordial relationship between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly may have hit a brick wall, as some members of the House of Representatives have insisted that the President and his economic team must appear before Parliament.

The motion, which was predicated on the inability of the Executive to fund the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets despite appropriations and approvals from the National Assembly, created serious tension in the lower chamber, with a majority, including members of the ruling party, supporting the invitation of the President to Parliament.

The motion, which was sponsored by the member representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, decried the poor funding of appropriated budgets and persistent delays in the release of capital funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

This came on the heels of a constitutional point of order raised by the member representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State, Hon. Benedict Etanabene, who informed the House that he had seen a circular from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation announcing the suspension of funding for zonal intervention projects pending fresh verification requirements.

The debate quickly divided the chamber, with lawmakers across party lines expressing frustration over what they described as the slow implementation of projects approved by the National Assembly.

While the motion enjoyed overwhelming support, attempts by some members to oppose aspects of it were drowned out by loud shouts and protests from their colleagues, forcing the Speaker to repeatedly call for order.

Moving the substantive motion titled, “Urgent need to address the poor funding of appropriated budgets and delayed releases to MDAs as revealed during the 2026 budget defence sessions,” Ikwechegh argued that the credibility of the appropriation process depends not only on the passage of the budget but also on the timely release and utilisation of funds.

He said: “The powers of appropriation in the National Assembly, and the credibility of the budget rests not only on the size of the figures appropriated, but on the fidelity, timeliness with which appropriation funds are released, cash-backed, and utilized for ministries, departments, and agencies.

“The House also notes that during the 2026 budget defence sessions, honourable Ministers and heads of MDAs disclosed deeply troubling levels of funding of 2025 budget, including sectors that recorded zero capital releases for the entire fiscal year, and others that received only a token, a fraction of their appropriated capital votes.

“The House is aware that these disclosures are consistent with repeated protests staged in 2025 and early 2026 by indigenous contractors of Nigeria that have invested heavily to do business with the Nigerian government at the Federal Ministry of Finance and at the gates of the National Assembly; on one occasion, disrupting plenary sittings because due to unpaid certificates for completed and verified projects with many contractors unable to service bank loans obtained to execute government projects.”

Ikwechegh recalled that President Tinubu had, at a Federal Executive Council meeting on December 10, 2025, directed the immediate settlement of verified contractor liabilities estimated at about N1.5tn and approved the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to reconcile records and facilitate payment.

According to him, “The House is also aware that His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Federal Executive Council of 10th December, 2025 expressed grave displeasure at the backlog, directed the immediate settlement of verified contractor liabilities of about N1.5tn and constituted an inter-Ministerial Committee to harmonise records and deliver a lasting funding solution, declaring his readiness of the government to even borrow when necessary to settled verified obligations.

“The House is further aware that directive of the National Assembly approved the borrowing in excess of N1tn specifically to finance the settlement of outstanding obligations on completed and verified capital projects, in addition to dedicated provisions in the 2026 Appropriation Act for contractor liabilities, while the Honourable Minister for Finance have announced the clearance of substantial sums announcements, which contractors dispute as partial announcements.”

However, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, ruled that the aspect of the debate seeking to summon the President could not be adopted, describing such a move as inconsistent with parliamentary practice.

According to the Speaker, “the issue of summoning the President as included in the debate of Hon Ikwechegh cannot be adopted by the House,” noting that “such action is unparliamentary.”

Despite the effort of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to save the day, the lawmakers appeared agitated and resolute to revolt against the President.

Some of them who got the return tickets to contest the 2027 elections feel they may not have anything on ground to campaign with, as the Zonal Intervention Projects appear suspended; while those who lost their tickets feel it was because of non-implementation of constituency projects that accounted largely for their loss. (The Sun)

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