Lawmakers Call For Urgent National Assembly Session Over Alleged ₦8.83trn Off-Budget Spending

A group of bipartisan lawmakers under the Save Nigeria Group has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to immediately reconvene the National Assembly for an emergency session over alleged off-budget spending, poor budget implementation and worsening insecurity.

The lawmakers made the demand in a statement signed by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, Hon. Abubakar Kusada and Hon. Mansur Jega. They said the emergency session should address the under-implementation of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets, the controversy surrounding the State Police Constitutional Alteration Bill, alleged unrecorded government expenditure and the failure to release capital funds to security agencies.

They said Nigeria’s democracy was facing serious challenges, including what they described as repeated constitutional violations, economic hardship and declining public confidence in government institutions. They particularly questioned the reported passage of the State Police Bill, alleging that the voting process did not comply with the constitutional requirement for amendments.

The lawmakers also demanded comprehensive reports on budget implementation and the release of capital funds to ministries, departments and agencies. They called for a parliamentary investigation into persistent budget delays and rollovers, arguing that the government must account for all funds appropriated by the National Assembly.

On alleged off-budget spending, the lawmakers referenced a reported International Monetary Fund assessment that expenditure equivalent to about two per cent of Nigeria’s GDP, estimated at approximately ₦8.83 trillion, was not reflected in recent official budgets. They called for an independent forensic audit to determine how the funds were spent and whether they were properly authorised.

The lawmakers also expressed concern about inadequate funding for security agencies despite the worsening insecurity across the country. They called for the immediate release of approved funds to the military, police and intelligence agencies to strengthen their operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups.

They maintained that the National Assembly must not remain away from plenary while major constitutional, financial and security issues remain unresolved. They stressed that they were not opposed to state police or economic reforms but insisted that every government action must comply with the Constitution and remain transparent to Nigerians.