A growing rift is emerging within Nigeria’s National Assembly as several lawmakers have openly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for allegedly failing to release capital project funds for the 2025 fiscal year—barely two months before the year’s end.
According to multiple legislative sources, discontent is deepening across both chambers, with members accusing the executive of sidelining the legislature and reducing it to a “ceremonial” institution.
The latest controversy follows a statement by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, who lamented that not a single naira had been released for capital projects since the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Act last December.
Gagdi disclosed during a townhall meeting with his constituents that although President Tinubu initially approved ₦1 billion worth of constituency intervention projects per lawmaker, the allocation was recently slashed by half due to funding constraints.
“There is no federal lawmaker in Abuja who receives constituency funds directly. Instead, each state’s lawmakers are given a notional envelope of ₦1 billion to propose projects,” Gagdi explained.
Corroborating his remarks, other legislators told The LegalObserver that frustration within the National Assembly is being worsened by the perceived complacency of its leadership—Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas—who are accused of prioritizing loyalty to the executive over the welfare of lawmakers and their constituencies.
Sources within both chambers said the situation has triggered renewed agitation among aggrieved members. In the Senate, some legislators have reportedly revived the “Integrity Group” — a coalition pushing for Akpabio’s removal for allegedly “selling out the Senate to the executive.”
Similarly, in the House of Representatives, several lawmakers are said to be preparing an ultimatum to Speaker Abbas, demanding he confront the President over the stalled project funds or face impeachment proceedings.
A lawmaker from Kano State expressed outrage, accusing President Tinubu of implementing only politically beneficial portions of the budget.
“Nigerians are suffering because the 2024 and 2025 budgets have not been properly implemented. The President is only focused on projects that serve his campaign interests,” he said.
Another legislator described the current relationship between the executive and legislature as “dictatorial,” adding that Tinubu’s approach treats lawmakers as subordinates rather than co-equal partners in governance.
“The National Assembly has become like a secondary school parliament—obedient and voiceless,” he stated.
Tensions nearly boiled over at a recent plenary session of the House before Appropriations Committee Chairman, Hon. Abubakar Bichi, reportedly intervened to calm the lawmakers.
Despite the temporary truce, discontent remains high, and insiders suggest that both chambers may soon witness leadership challenges unless urgent steps are taken to restore legislative independence and transparency in budget implementation.
As Nigeria’s 2025 fiscal year draws to a close, the standoff between the legislative and executive branches underscores a broader constitutional concern: the fragile balance of power and accountability within the nation’s democratic institutions.
