The national assembly
Some members of the national assembly are preparing for a confrontation with the executive arm of government over the non-implementation of constituency projects.
Some senators and members of the house of representatives were said to have held separate meetings in Abuja on Tuesday night, where they resolved to mobilise their colleagues for a pushback against the president.
Top on the agenda was the non-funding of constituency projects nominated by lawmakers in the 2024 and 2025 budgets — the only appropriation exercises they have so far participated in.
Although President Bola Tinubu is expected to present the 2026 appropriation bill to a joint session of the national assembly in line with the January-to-December budget cycle, federal authorities are still grappling with the 2024 budget while implementation of the 2025 budget is yet to begin — even as the fiscal year approaches its final quarter.
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Many lawmakers, already eyeing the 2027 elections, are said to be angry over the reception they got from their constituents during the long recess.
Some APC legislators lamented that they are fast losing ground to new aspirants due to what they described as “fake promises.”
“Imagine promising the people of our commitments to facilitate one or two projects to their wards in the 2025 budget, and with barely 3 months to the end of the year, nothing to show for it; whereas, the same projects are captured in the 2025 budget, but someone, somewhere, has refused to mobilise contractors to commence work. I wonder what I will be promising them in the 2026 budget, knowing fully well that they will still tag it fake promises,” one lawmaker was quoted as saying.
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The lawmakers also criticised the executive for failing to pay contractors who have completed projects captured in the 2024 appropriation, saying the delay has slowed down development in their constituencies and worsened their political fortunes ahead of 2027.
A source familiar with the house of reps meeting hinted that members have been drafted across parties and regions to mobilise blocs with a view to ensuring that “no executive bill from the president will pass through the parliament again” until the issues raised are addressed.
Meanwhile, the Coalition for Equity and Accountability in Public Finance (CEAPF) has called for the resignation of Wale Edun, minister of finance, and Samsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, accountant-general of the federation (AGoF).
In a statement signed by Segun Daramola, president of the coalition, and Isaac Idachaba, secretary-general, CEAPF accused the duo of “failing to pay contractors for projects duly captured in the 2024 budget and fully executed by local firms”.
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