Lawmakers Demand Emergency Session Over Budget Issues

A group of bipartisan lawmakers in the House of Representatives, operating under the Save Nigeria Group, has urged the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to reconvene both chambers for an emergency session. This session is necessary to discuss the under-implementation of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 Appropriation Acts, allegations of off-budget expenditure, and the constitutional issues surrounding the State Police Constitutional Alteration Bill.

The lawmakers, including Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (NDC, Rivers), Hon. Abubakar Kusada (APC, Katsina), and Hon. Mansur Jega (ADC, Kebbi), expressed their concerns over Nigeria's democracy, citing a disregard for the rule of law and chronic budget under-implementation. They criticized the National Assembly's reliance on voice votes for significant decisions, such as the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025, which they argue violated constitutional requirements.