Reps silent after shock adjournment over 2026 budget tension

The House of Representatives remained silent 24 hours after an unprecedented adjournment of its plenary session over tension surrounding the 2026 budget. Neither the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, nor the official spokesman, Akin Rotimi, responded to calls or messages, while other key members, including the Chairman of the Committee on House Services, Hon. Amos Daniel, also declined to comment.

The adjournment on Tuesday followed a tense closed-door session that lasted about an hour, a rare occurrence only previously seen when the chamber suspended proceedings to honour a deceased member. Lawmakers reportedly clashed over members’ welfare, unpaid constituency funds, and President Bola Tinubu’s N1.15 trillion domestic borrowing request to fund the 2025 budget deficit.

The session began with the arrival of the Speaker and principal officers, followed by the executive meeting. Upon resumption, Ifeanyi Uzokwe from Anambra State repeatedly sought recognition to raise a point of order, but the Speaker ignored him, making routine announcements instead. Moments later, House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere moved a motion for adjournment, which was adopted without debate.

President Tinubu had written to the National Assembly seeking approval for the borrowing plan, citing a N14.1 trillion funding gap caused by an increase in the 2025 budget from N49.7 trillion proposed by the Executive to N59.9 trillion approved by the legislature. Lawmakers, however, reportedly refused to consider the request, frustrated by the Federal Government’s failure to release funds to execute capital projects, despite a one-week ultimatum given to the Finance, Budget, and National Planning ministries, as well as the Accountant General.

Financial grievances within the House came to the fore earlier on Tuesday when Ismaila Dabo, representing Toro Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, reportedly circulated a WhatsApp message titled “My concern and the sad reality about the 10th National Assembly.” In the post, which was later deleted, Dabo lamented that despite a sharp rise in the National Assembly budget from under N160 billion in 2023 to about N360 billion in 2025, most lawmakers were struggling with rent, travel costs, and loan repayments.

Dabo blamed the proliferation of committees under Speaker Abbas for weakening legislative oversight and cited the stark disparity between allocations for Principal Officers and ordinary members. He urged the leadership to adjust members’ monthly allowances from N12.5 million to N30 million and to rationalise the number of committees for better efficiency.

Sources told The PUNCH that Dabo’s message and these underlying grievances dominated the closed-door session. While the Speaker reportedly defended the leadership, asserting that the increased budget funded capital projects such as car parks, a National Assembly hospital, a recreation centre, and official vehicles, some members expressed anger over items they considered unnecessary, including standing fans and dustbins.

As the House prepares to reconvene on Wednesday, expectations are high that the N1.15 trillion loan request and members’ welfare concerns will dominate discussions. Yet, the continued silence from the leadership fuels speculation that the 10th House may be grappling with one of its most serious internal crises since inauguration.