By Our Reporter
Panic and frustration swept through the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers openly accused the Executive of hindering the implementation of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 budgets, warning that stalled constituency projects could cost many of them their seats in the 2027 general elections.
The anger erupted during plenary, with members across party lines condemning what they described as the poor and inconsistent release of appropriated funds. They argued that delayed financing has left hundreds of roads, schools, health centres, water schemes, and other constituency projects abandoned, leaving them with little to show constituents as political campaigns begin to gather momentum.
According to reports, lawmakers were particularly incensed by reports of a Treasury circular suspending payments for zonal intervention projects pending fresh verification. They said the directive had effectively halted projects that had already passed due process and received National Assembly approval, warning that it undermines years of grassroots engagement and erodes public confidence in elected representatives.
The lawmakers also lamented that Nigeria is effectively implementing three budgets simultaneously, with substantial portions of the 2024 and 2025 appropriations still outstanding even as the 2026 budget is being rolled out. They warned that the backlog is driving up project costs, putting contractors under severe financial strain and delaying critical infrastructure, despite an earlier presidential directive to settle about ₦1.5 trillion in verified contractor debts.
Although Speaker Tajudeen Abbas reportedly rejected calls to summon President Bola Tinubu over the impasse, the debate exposed growing tension between the Legislature and the Executive. For many lawmakers, the issue is no longer just about budget implementation—it is about political survival, as they fear facing voters in 2027 without completed projects to justify their return to the National Assembly.
With additional reports from the Gaurdian