Bribery allegation, rift with Senate, 2026 budget may top agenda as Reps reconvene

The National Assembly will reconvene tomorrow after a two-month recess. The Senate and House of Representatives proceeded on the long vacation on 23 July.

Only plenary sittings were suspended during the recess because the lawmakers continued with other legislative activities. Notably, some standing and ad-hoc committees were active throughout the break, holding investigative hearings and engaging stakeholders on pending bills. This ensured that parliamentary work did not grind to a halt entirely, even as members were away from the chamber.

While the lawmakers were away, insecurity challenges grew in many parts of the country, resident doctors embarked on a strike, and the political landscape continued to shift by way of defections and power plays.

The lower chamber’s standoff with the Senate over “neglected” bills remains

On the horizon looms the prospect of a supplementary budget for 2025 and the anticipated 2026 Appropriation Bill.

Uncertainty

A member of the House, Abubakar Fulata (APC, Jigawa), expressed uncertainty over the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Mr Fulata said the timing may be affected by the public holiday marking Nigeria’s Independence Day on 1 October and the Eid-ul-Mawlid celebration.

“I don’t know if we will resume tomorrow. I don’t know because of the public holiday which is coming up on the first of October and also the celebrations of Eid-ul-Mawlid,” he said on Monday.

“There’s a debate as to whether we can shift it to 7 October so we don’t resume tomorrow and then break again. But it is the leadership that will decide whether we can resume tomorrow and adjourn, or extend the resumption till the 7th of October.”

On expectations from the lawmakers once plenary reconvenes, Mr Fulata said some pressing national matters require urgent attention.

“A lot of issues. This issue of constitution amendment, issues of security, and the Electoral Act amendment,” he said.
Whenever they resume, here are some of the issues that may engage the attention of the lawmakers upon resumption of plenary.

Insecurity: a recurring nightmare

Arguably, no issue weighs heavily on the public than insecurity. During the recess, several parts of the country were gripped by fresh waves of kidnappings and armed attacks.

In Kaduna and Zamfara states, gunmen abducted scores of villagers, demanding ransoms that many communities could not afford.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a chilling incident in early September saw armed men raid a community on the outskirts, holding residents hostage for hours before disappearing into the night.

The security challenges are expected to dominate constituency interventions, with lawmakers pressing security chiefs for answers.

The House of Representatives’ standing committees on Defence, Police Affairs, and Interior may be drawn into new rounds of oversight hearings.

Resident doctors’ strike

Healthcare is another crisis zone.

On 15 September, the Association of Resident Doctors under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) embarked on a five-day strike.

Their demands had been on the table for months, but negotiations had dragged, and the doctors believed action was overdue.

They sought the payment of salary arrears ranging from one to six months for those employed since 2023, the immediate recruitment of new staff, and the settlement of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.

The doctors also insisted on payment of arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, clear timelines for completing skipping and conversion processes, correction of irregular salary payments, and the settlement of wage award arrears, hazard allowance arrears, salary arrears of external residents, and promotion arrears.

Beyond financial concerns, they pressed for the renovation and equipping of FCT hospitals to improve service delivery.

The strike disrupted healthcare services across the capital city: surgeries were postponed, emergency wards ran with skeletal staff, and patients were turned away.

However, on 19 September, the association’s president, George Ebong, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES the temporary halt of the strike following interventions from the Senate and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who disclosed that he had approved all their requests.

When the House resumes, motions and resolutions on the crisis are almost certain. In past labour disputes, the Green Chamber has positioned itself as a mediator.

Defections

The resumption period could also mark another season of defections in the House of Representatives.

In recent months, defections have become almost routine. Several lawmakers crossed the aisle, citing internal party wrangling, neglect from state structures, or “alignment with their constituents’ aspirations.”

With the 2027 elections already casting a shadow, some lawmakers are recalculating their political survival, testing which platform offers the best prospects.

For those from opposition strongholds, the temptation to embrace the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is strong,

On the other side, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not been idle. The party has also been making efforts to attract members of the ruling party who may be dissatisfied with their situations.

Both camps are playing a chess game that will affect the House’s configuration in the months ahead.

Ibrahim Auyo’s explosive bribery claims

Few issues threaten to rock the chamber from within as much as the scandal surrounding Ibrahim Auyo (APC, Jigawa).

In August, Mr Auyo alleged that lawmakers pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million to have their bills, motions, and petitions entertained on the floor.

The House reacted with fury. In a strongly worded statement, its spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, dismissed the claims as “unsubstantiated” and warned that they risk undermining public trust in parliament.

Mr Rotimi said Mr Auyo would be summoned upon resumption to produce evidence or face the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The stakes are high. Should Mr Auyo fail to prove his allegations, disciplinary action could follow. But if he presents credible evidence, the chamber could be plunged into an integrity crisis.

Either way, this confrontation will be one of the most closely watched episodes after the resumption.

Rift with the Senate

Another issue brewing is the House’s frosty relationship with the Senate.

In July, the Green Chamber took the extraordinary step of suspending all Senate-sponsored bills, accusing the upper chamber of neglecting more than 140 bills already passed by the House, some pending for over six months.

The flashpoint came when the House considered a Senate bill to establish an orthopaedic hospital in Osun State.

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The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, who vented his frustration, declared that the Senate had made a habit of ignoring House legislation. His remarks drew loud applause from colleagues across party lines.

The Senate, however, rejected the allegations, claiming that it has been diligent in attending to bills forwarded by the House.

When lawmakers return, pressure will mount on the Committees on Rules and Business to find a truce.

Supplementary budget and 2026 outlook

Fiscal policy is also on the horizon. It is expected that the Tinubu administration will send a supplementary budget for 2025 before the year’s end. Rising expenditure needs, from security operations to palliatives against inflation, make it almost inevitable.

But here lies another challenge: the government’s poor track record on timely budget presentation. The 2025 budget was presented only in mid-December 2024, leaving lawmakers scrambling to pass it before the January fiscal year.

As such, the House is expected to press for the 2026 budget to be presented earlier than December to allow proper scrutiny.