Lawmakers Demand Emergency National Assembly Sitting Over Budget, State Police, Insecurity

A group of bipartisan members of the House of Representatives, operating under the Save Nigeria Group, has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to urgently reconvene the National Assembly for an emergency session.

According to Ireporter Online, the lawmakers said the proposed sitting should address concerns over the implementation of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts, the controversy surrounding the State Police Constitutional Alteration Bill, alleged off-budget expenditure, delayed capital releases to security agencies and the worsening security situation across the country.

The demand was contained in a statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by Awaji-Inombek Abiante, Abubakar Kusada and Mansur Jega on behalf of other members of the group.

The lawmakers stressed that the Save Nigeria Group was neither an opposition platform nor a vehicle for any political interest, but a bipartisan initiative concerned about what it described as declining adherence to constitutional procedures and weakening public institutions.

They argued that continued silence over alleged constitutional and institutional breaches could no longer be justified, warning that treating constitutional requirements as optional posed a danger to democratic governance.

The lawmakers recalled the National Assembly’s approval of the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025, questioning the use of voice votes despite the constitutional requirement for a two-thirds majority in each chamber.

They also raised concerns over the procedure reportedly used by the House during the consideration of the Executive State Police Constitutional Alteration Bill on July 23, 2026.

According to the group, the Speaker announced that 311 lawmakers supported the bill, exceeding the required threshold, but some members who were physically present allegedly disputed the number of lawmakers in the chamber when the legislation was considered.

The lawmakers further alleged that votes allegedly transmitted through WhatsApp by lawmakers who were not physically present may have been included in the announced figure.

They insisted that any constitutional amendment must strictly follow the procedure established by law, even if the proposed reform itself is considered desirable.

The group also criticised what it described as persistent under-implementation of federal budgets from 2024 to 2026, arguing that repeated delays, extensions and capital budget rollovers had created serious concerns about fiscal accountability.

The lawmakers demanded detailed implementation reports for the three budget years, including information on capital releases to ministries, departments and agencies.

They also called for reconciliation of government revenue with expenditure approved by the National Assembly and a parliamentary investigation into the alleged failure to release appropriated funds.

According to the lawmakers, persistent refusal to implement duly enacted appropriation laws could raise serious constitutional concerns and should not be treated as a mere administrative matter.

The group further demanded an investigation into allegations of off-budget expenditure, including claims that public spending equivalent to about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product had not been reflected in recent official budgets.

They said the reported figure, estimated at about ₦8.83 trillion, warranted independent scrutiny and a forensic audit.

The lawmakers maintained that public funds should not be spent outside legally approved appropriation frameworks or excluded from fiscal information presented to the legislature and citizens.

On insecurity, the group expressed concern over the continued killing, kidnapping and displacement of Nigerians by terrorists, bandits and other violent groups.

They questioned the reported pace of capital releases to security agencies at a time when the country was facing serious security challenges.

The lawmakers called for the immediate release of appropriated capital funds to the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, intelligence agencies and other security institutions to strengthen their operational capacity.

They argued that security personnel confronting terrorists and bandits should have adequate access to equipment, logistics, vehicles, aircraft maintenance and other essential resources.

The group also commended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria for speaking publicly about insecurity, economic hardship and democratic concerns.

It similarly praised the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria for advocating broader consultation and national consensus over the proposed state police arrangement.

The lawmakers argued that the National Assembly should not remain away from plenary while major constitutional, economic and security matters require urgent attention.

They therefore called on Akpabio and Abbas to reconvene both chambers immediately to address the budget implementation concerns, State Police Bill controversy, alleged off-budget expenditure, security funding and the broader deterioration of public confidence in democratic institutions.

The lawmakers maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to represent Nigerians, defend the Constitution, approve public spending, conduct oversight and hold the executive accountable.

They said they would support legitimate reforms and necessary public expenditure but oppose what they described as unconstitutional procedures, legislative shortcuts, opaque spending, unimplemented budgets and failures to adequately protect citizens.