BREAKING: Chaos in House of Representatives as Lawmakers Clash Over Move to Summon Tinubu

The House of Representatives descended into a heated and rowdy session on Wednesday after lawmakers sharply disagreed over a proposal seeking to invite President Bola Tinubu to address the National Assembly on the implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act.

The controversy began when the member representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State, Benedict Etanabene, raised a point of privilege during plenary to draw the attention of the House to a circular issued on June 29 by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.

The circular directed all federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately suspend the processing of payments for constituency and Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs) unless such projects had first been vetted and cleared by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Etanabene argued that the directive could significantly slow down the implementation of the 2025 budget and frustrate projects already approved by the National Assembly. He therefore urged the House to summon President Tinubu to explain the delay in budget implementation and address concerns surrounding the new payment directive.

According to the lawmaker, the Accountant-General’s circular has the potential to further hinder the execution of the Appropriation Act, thereby affecting the delivery of critical constituency projects across the country.

Supporting the concerns, the member representing Aba North and Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, Mascot Ikwechegh, also lamented the slow pace of budget implementation. He warned that continued delays in the release of funds could negatively impact government programmes and stall development projects captured in the 2025 budget.

However, the proposal immediately divided members of the House, with several lawmakers strongly opposing the motion. As supporters attempted to make their contributions, opposing members repeatedly interrupted them with loud chants of “Sit down! Sit down!”, creating a tense atmosphere inside the chamber.

The disagreement quickly escalated into a noisy exchange, disrupting proceedings and forcing lawmakers into a prolonged debate that lasted for about 30 minutes.

Following the heated deliberations, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, ruled against the motion.

Explaining his decision, Abbas said the prayers presented on the floor during plenary were different from those contained in the original motion submitted by its sponsors. According to him, the alteration amounted to a procedural deviation from the approved text and could not be entertained under the House’s rules.

The Speaker’s ruling effectively brought the matter to an end, although the debate underscored growing concerns among some lawmakers over the pace of the 2025 budget implementation and the impact of recent administrative directives on constituency projects.

The incident also highlighted divisions within the House over how best to engage the executive arm of government on issues relating to budget execution and oversight responsibilities.