Rita Odafe
The extension of the capital component of the 2023 budget and the Supplementary Appropriation Act, as requested by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was approved by the National Assembly on Thursday, June 27.
The lawmakers granted an extension from June to December after considering the clauses at the committee on supply in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
However, a bit of disagreement arose during the passage, leading to a raucous session at the House of Representatives.
President Tinubu had asked for the extension of the implementation of the capital components of the 2023 budget and Supplementary Appropriation Act from June 30 to December 31 in a letter read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.
Some lawmakers initially opposed delving into a debate on the president’s request, but eventually, the majority leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved for the bill’s discussion, emphasizing that the amendment only pertained to the timeline and not the bill’s content.
The minority leader, Kingsley Chinda, expressed concern over both budgets running concurrently, highlighting potential budgetary cycle issues similar to those criticized during the PDP administration.
Despite opposition from a member suggesting to step down the bill, an APC lawmaker from Katsina, Sada Soli, criticized the PDP lawmaker’s stance as a mere performance.
Vocal debates ensued amongst the lawmakers, with another ranking APC member, Ado Doguwa, supporting the concerns raised by the minority while urging for support for the bill given its legal but unprecedented nature.
Following the discussions, the lawmakers transitioned into an executive session to further deliberate on the matter.
