It’s still a long way to go with budget 2016 as the much anticipated meeting between the National Assembly and the President Muhammadu Buhari failed to hold on Tuesday.

Although the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, held a closed door meeting the President in Abuja; he left the Presidential Villa at about 2pm, after 30 minutes and was shielded by security operatives.

State House correspondents were prevented from interacting with him as he left the Villa.

An official at the Presidency told State House correspondents that the meeting did not hold because other principal members of the National Assembly including the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, were not present.

On Sunday, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Abdulrazak Namdas, said that members of the legislature would continue deliberations with the executive during the week to resolve some grey areas in the 2016 budget.

Mr Namdas explained that the delay in the signing of the 2016 budget is not as a result of inaction by the National Assembly but because the President is yet to be convinced to sign the document. (Channels TV)

•File Photo shows President Buhari receiving Senate President Saraki in Aso Rock.