Reps in uproar as Abbas blocks move to summon Tinubu over 2025 Budget implementation

The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Wednesday after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas blocked an attempt to invite President Bola Tinubu to appear before lawmakers over the implementation of the 2025 budget.

The drama unfolded during consideration of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Alex Mascot Ikwechegh (Labour Party, Abia), who raised concerns over inadequate funding of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and persistent delays in the release of appropriated funds.

Presenting the motion, Ikwechegh said disclosures by ministers and heads of MDAs during the ongoing 2026 budget defence sessions showed that several agencies had received little or no capital releases in 2025 despite funds approved by the National Assembly.

He warned that the delays had stalled critical projects nationwide and left many contractors, who financed government projects with bank loans, waiting for payment for completed and verified contracts.

The lawmaker recalled that President Tinubu had directed at a Federal Executive Council meeting in December 2025 that verified contractor liabilities estimated at about ₦1.5 trillion be settled. He, however, noted that despite the directive and legislative approvals, releases to MDAs had remained slow or, in some cases, had not been made.

Ikwechegh also drew attention to a Treasury Circular reportedly issued on June 29, 2026, by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, suspending payments for zonal intervention and constituency projects pending the issuance of Certificates of Verification and Compliance by the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

He urged the House to commend the President for directing the settlement of contractor liabilities and to demand the immediate implementation of the directive.

Tension escalated when Ikwechegh went beyond the prayers contained in his motion and proposed that President Tinubu be invited to appear before the House to explain the delays in budget implementation.

Before he could conclude, Speaker Abbas interrupted him, reminding the lawmaker that the proposal was not part of the motion before the chamber and directing him to confine his submissions to the approved prayers.

The Speaker’s intervention triggered heated exchanges across the chamber, with some lawmakers supporting the proposal while others argued that ministers and heads of government agencies—not the President—are constitutionally responsible for accounting for budget implementation.

The disagreement intensified when Godwin Oga Mobi proposed an amendment seeking the postponement of the House Open Week to enable lawmakers focus on addressing budget implementation challenges. The amendment was seconded by Sani Lawan.

Contributing to the debate, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) supported the substantive motion but opposed any move to summon the President, insisting that parliamentary oversight should focus on officials directly responsible for implementing government policies.

Gagdi also requested that the House split the question to allow members vote separately on the proposal to invite the President and the other prayers contained in the motion.

The request sparked loud protests, with lawmakers shouting across the chamber as supporters and opponents exchanged arguments.

Speaker Abbas repeatedly called for order before ruling against the request to split the question, insisting that proceedings would continue in line with the House rules and the motion as presented.

Following the ruling, calm was restored and the House concluded consideration of the motion.

The House subsequently urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria to prioritise the timely release and cash-backing of appropriated funds, publish a clear schedule of releases for the 2026 fiscal year, and conclude the verification and payment of outstanding contractor liabilities within a defined timeframe.

Lawmakers also called on fiscal authorities to ensure that the over ₦1 trillion borrowing approved by the National Assembly is applied strictly to settling verified capital project obligations and to provide the legislature with a comprehensive account of its utilisation.

The House further urged the Office of the Accountant-General to review the June 29 Treasury Circular and align it with the President’s directive by introducing clear timelines for issuing verification certificates to prevent further delays.

As part of its resolutions, the House proposed the constitution of an ad hoc committee, to be chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, to engage relevant fiscal authorities on the status of fund releases, contractor payments and the utilisation of approved borrowings.

The committee is expected to report back to the House within four weeks with recommendations for further legislative action.