The House of Representatives on Tuesday again failed to begin debate on the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution, despite previously scheduling voting on key proposals for December 10 and 11. This marks the third postponement of the long-awaited deliberations.
Gatekeepers News reports that the delay followed a closed-door session with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji. The meeting, which lasted from 11:48 a.m. to 1:24 p.m., was presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen and reportedly centered on concerns about delayed payments to indigenous contractors.
Lawmakers have repeatedly raised alarm that sluggish implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act is stalling federal projects and worsening the financial distress of contractors who rely on timely disbursements.
Before the executive session was convened, the House opened with routine formalities, including the recitation of the National Anthem. Speaker Abbas then instructed the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to move a motion for a closed-door meeting, which was adopted without objection — even though the usual protocol for admitting non-members was not strictly followed.
The Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, had insisted earlier that the amendment report was ready for debate. Major issues on the table include state creation, local government autonomy, electoral reforms, state police, devolution of powers, fiscal restructuring, human rights, and the role of traditional institutions.
However, Tuesday’s closed-door engagement once again stalled the process. The House had last Thursday postponed debate to allow more time for research and consultation after some lawmakers argued they had not received the full report and needed time to study the proposed alterations.
Similar concerns led to an earlier postponement on December 3.
It is unclear whether the Green Chamber will proceed with voting on the reform bills on Wednesday without first conducting debate.
Tuesday’s meeting with the finance minister comes amid intensifying pressure from indigenous contractors, who for weeks have protested unpaid debts — reportedly over N500 billion — for completed federal projects. In November, the House suspended plenary for one week to allow the Executive to address the backlog and issued a seven-day ultimatum to Edun; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi.
