Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has declared that the House does not require President Bola Tinubu to appear before it to address concerns over the implementation of the national budget, insisting that ministers and other government officials are the appropriate persons to answer lawmakers' queries on budget execution. Agbese's comments, made during an interview with select journalists in Abuja on Sunday, 12 July 2026, came in the wake of a rowdy plenary session on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, during which lawmakers clashed over a motion to summon the President to explain the poor implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act.
The controversy was triggered by a motion moved by Hon. Mascot Ikwechegh, representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency in Abia State, who called on the House to invite President Tinubu to appear before the Green Chamber to explain the alleged poor implementation of the budget, particularly concerning constituency projects. The motion sharply divided lawmakers, with some backing the proposal while others opposed it on constitutional and procedural grounds. The debate took a dramatic turn when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled that the prayer seeking to summon the President was not contained in the original motion submitted ahead of plenary, declaring it a "complete deviation" from the approved text.
Speaking on the development, Agbese argued that inviting the President was unnecessary, maintaining that the officials directly responsible for implementing the budget are those constitutionally accountable to the National Assembly. "The House does not need Mr President to appear before it to resolve budget-related issues. The relevant ministers and the Office of the Accountant-General are the right people to answer questions members are asking because they are directly involved in budget implementation," Agbese said. He explained that the National Assembly's oversight powers are primarily exercised over ministries, departments and agencies, whose chief executives and supervising ministers are responsible for the execution of projects and utilisation of appropriated funds. According to him, these officials are better placed to provide detailed explanations on the level of implementation of constituency projects and other items captured in the national budget.
Agbese also commended Speaker Abbas for his handling of Wednesday's proceedings, describing his conduct as a demonstration of maturity, fairness, and fidelity to parliamentary rules. "Speaker Abbas showed rare leadership as the presiding officer. He handled the proceedings with calmness, fairness and a clear commitment to protecting the integrity of the House," he said. He urged Nigerians not to politicise the House's oversight functions, insisting that lawmakers remain committed to ensuring prudent management of public resources and effective implementation of projects captured in the national budget. He said the House would continue to engage relevant government officials to obtain necessary clarifications and ensure that funds approved for constituency projects are properly utilised.
In a related development, Agbese dismissed calls for the cancellation of the National Assembly Open Week scheduled to commence on July 14, describing the annual legislative event as a flagship initiative of the 10th House under Speaker Abbas Tajudeen. He said members would fully participate in the programme despite ongoing debates over budget implementation. "Though things are critical, members will never abdicate their primary responsibility of lawmaking for any other thing or whatever grouse they may have. NASS Open Week has come to stay. It has helped to showcase our activities to major stakeholders across the globe, including cooperation from other parliamentary institutions and partners," Agbese said.
The rowdy session on July 8 was triggered by growing frustration among lawmakers over the slow pace of budget implementation, particularly the execution of constituency projects. Federal lawmakers have repeatedly lamented that the sluggish release of funds is stalling projects across the country. Since 2025, local contractors under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) have staged protests over unpaid debts for projects executed for the federal government. The push to summon the President was also fuelled by a recent memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which halted the processing of payments for Zonal Intervention Projects, popularly known as constituency projects, pending clearance from the Ministry of Special Duties. Agbese's intervention has effectively shut down the bid to summon the President, at least for now, while shifting the focus of oversight to ministers and accounting officers.
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