Tension Burst – House Shut Plenary Over Budget Wahala

Tension over di 2026 budget don stall proceedings for House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers sharply adjourn plenary without considering any item for di day Order Paper. Di wahala na di first time wey dis kind thing happen since di chamber bin suspend sitting for deceased member. Sources inside di House talk say lawmakers yarn gbe gbe inside closed-door session before di adjournment, fuelling talks say House don dey divided on how dem wan handle di budget process. Di House go resume today to continue legislative work, wit di loan request from President Bola Tinubu expected to dey front and centre.

Tuesday Order Paper get 30 bills for first reading, 16 reports for consideration, 8 bills for second reading, and 6 motions wey fit be considered or adopted. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas enter with other principal officers, then lawmakers waka go closed-door session for about one hour. After di session, di chamber tense as Ifeanyi Uzokwe from Anambra dey try raise point of order but Speaker ignore am. House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, later move adjournment motion, wey dem adopt. Lawmakers vex say Federal Government never release funds to execute 2024 and 2025 capital budgets. Some members like Ismaila Dabo lament say di budget disparity between Principal Officers and ordinary members dey huge, and dem dey struggle with loans and constituency projects. Dabo propose say leadership adjust allowances and reorganise committees to make House more effective. Meanwhile, President Tinubu dey expect House to approve N1.15tn domestic borrowing to fund 2025 budget deficit, but lawmakers no gree. Efforts to get comment from House spokesman Akin Rotimi and Committee Chairman Hon Amos Daniel fail.