House Speaker Blocks Motion to Summon President Bola Tinubu

The Nigerian House of Representatives descended into chaos on July 8, 2026, during a heated debate regarding the non-funding of constituency and zonal intervention projects. The dispute centered on a June 29 circular issued by Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which suspended payments for these projects unless they were first vetted by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House, intervened after shouting matches broke out between lawmakers. He ruled that the proposal to invite President Bola Tinubu to the chamber was out of order and unparliamentary. Lawmakers, including Benedict Etanabene and Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, had argued that the President needed to explain the slow implementation of the 2025 budget and a backlog of approximately N1.5 trillion in contractor liabilities.

Despite the rejection of the motion to summon the President, the House resolved to summon relevant ministers to provide explanations. Additionally, the House established a 12-man Ad-hoc Committee, chaired by Abubakar Bichi, to investigate the current state of fiscal releases and the settlement of contractor debts.