Proceedings in the House of Representatives turned rowdy on Wednesday after lawmakers clashed sharply over a motion seeking to summon President Bola Tinubu to explain the slow pace of the 2025 budget implementation and the non-funding of constituency projects across the country.

The controversy was triggered by a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, who represents Aba North/Aba South federal constituency of Abia State.

Ikwechegh told his colleagues that disclosures made by ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies during the ongoing 2026 budget defence sessions showed that several agencies had received little or no capital releases throughout 2025, despite the funds having been duly appropriated by the National Assembly.

He argued that this had left contractors who financed government projects through bank loans stranded, with many projects stalled nationwide.

The lawmaker recalled that President Tinubu had, during a Federal Executive Council meeting in December 2025, ordered the immediate settlement of verified contractor liabilities estimated at about ₦1.5 trillion. He lamented that despite that directive, along with legislative approvals and assurances from the Ministry of Finance, disbursements to the affected agencies had remained slow or, in several cases, had still not been made months later.

Adding to the tension, the House was also drawn to a June 29 circular issued by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which directed all federal ministries, departments and agencies to suspend the processing of payments for constituency and zonal intervention projects until such projects had been vetted and cleared by the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Benedict Etanabene, who represents Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency of Delta State, raised a point of privilege on the matter, warning that the circular would further frustrate the execution of already-delayed constituency projects and urging the House to demand an explanation directly from the President.

The situation escalated when Ikwechegh, beyond the prayers contained in his original motion, proposed that President Tinubu be formally invited to appear before the House to account for the delays. “Come and explain to us why we are spending trillions of naira drilling roads, doing constant roads, yet Nigerians are dying,” he said while presenting the motion, also citing the security situation in the country. The motion was seconded, and another lawmaker moved a further amendment proposing that plenary be suspended for one week until the matter was resolved.

The proposals immediately split the chamber. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, representing Plateau State, kicked against the idea of summoning the President, insisting that the responsibility for implementing and funding constituency projects rested with the relevant ministries, departments and agencies rather than with the presidency directly.

He also opposed the call to shut down plenary for a week, describing it as unnecessary. His counter-position met stiff resistance from lawmakers who backed the original motion, resulting in shouting matches and heated exchanges across the floor that disrupted proceedings for several minutes.

Some lawmakers maintained that constitutional procedure only permitted the National Assembly to summon ministers and heads of agencies, not the President himself.

Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas eventually intervened to calm tempers and halted the push to formally invite the President to the chamber. In the end, the House resolved instead to urge the Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General 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 further called for the Accountant-General’s office to review the June 29 circular and align it with the President’s earlier directive by introducing clear timelines for issuing verification certificates, so as to avoid further delays to constituency and zonal intervention projects.

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