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•Non-execution of constituency projects threatens members’ reelection bids
•Senators plot own push back
From Fred Itua and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The relationship between the House of Representatives and the Executive arm of government appears to be heading for a complete breakdown, as lawmakers gear up for a showdown with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the poor implementation of the 2026 budget.
Indications that members are unhappy with the President came to the fore last Wednesday, when they moved to summon Tinubu to appear before the parliament, alongside his financial management team, to explain the abysmal funding of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts.
Mascot Ikwechegh, who represents Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, jolted the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, when he proposed that President Tinubu should be summoned over the poor implementation of national budgets from 2024. He made the proposal while moving a motion drawing the attention of the House to the low level of implementation of the appropriation acts.
Although the House leadership managed the situation, which had degenerated into a rowdy session, by pointing out that the proposal to summon the President was not contained in the original prayers of the motion, the overwhelming support the idea attracted underscores the depth of anger in the Green Chamber against the Executive.
The push to summon the President was triggered by a recent memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which halted the processing of payments for Zonal Intervention Projects, popularly known as constituency projects, pending clearance from the Ministry of Special Duties.
Sunday Sun gathered that members, already restive over delays in implementing the capital component of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets, view the directive as a ploy to further stall the release of funds meant for their constituency projects.
An inside source disclosed that most members have so far received only 30 per cent of their allocations for these projects. Frustrated by the state of affairs and under enormous pressure to fulfill promises made to their constituents ahead of the 2027 general elections, the lawmakers decided to go for broke.
Benedict Etanabene, who represents Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State, speaking on a point of privilege at Wednesday’s plenary, urged the House to test the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, by inviting President Tinubu to appear before parliament over the budget implementation.
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“The bottom line is that there was an instruction in that memo from the Office of the Accountant General that all matters on the constituency projects be suspended immediately,” Etanabene said. “Mr Speaker, these are budgetary provisions. I am touched because my constituents who have heard, read and seen the provision as contained in the budget are also worried that all this will no longer be achieved based on this circular that has been produced by the Accountant General of the Federation.”
The scale of what is at stake helps explain the intensity of the feeling in the chamber. Each ordinary member of the House of Representatives has about N1 billion allocated in this year’s budget for constituency intervention projects, while committee chairmen have a minimum of N3 billion each.
Principal officers, meanwhile, have at least N10 billion, apiece tied to the same budget line, and members of what are considered more favoured committees also enjoy a bigger stake in the appropriation.
This year’s dispute is especially sharp because lawmakers need the funds for two competing reasons. Those seeking re-election require the projects to campaign ahead of 2027, while those who failed to secure their party’s ticket to return need the money as something to fall back on once they leave office. Senators find themselves in an identical position.
Following the back and forth arguments, and the flirtation with the idea of summoning the President, the matter appeared to have been resolved.
One of the measures already put in place by an anxious House leadership is the constitution of a high powered ad hoc committee to interface with relevant government agencies over the issue.
The committee, chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, is expected to report back to the House within four weeks. The expectation is that appreciable progress will have been made on the Zonal Intervention Project question before campaigning begins in earnest for the 2027 general election.
Yet, despite these efforts at appeasement, it has since become clear that the issue is far from settled. What is emerging instead is a broader souring of relations between the presidency and the parliament, one that goes beyond a single budget line.
There are growing fears within the National Assembly that, if not properly managed, the rift could spill over and affect major requests from the presidency, including the constitutional amendment currently being handled by the parliament.
Sources within the Green Chamber warn that a parliament nursing grievances over unreleased funds is unlikely to be in a generous mood when the Executive seeks support on other fronts.
