THE House of Representatives has denied reports of a brewing crisis against Speaker Abbas Tajudeen over delays in constituency project funding, insisting that the 10th Assembly remains united and focused on its legislative duties.
In a strongly worded statement late on Sunday made available to News Point Nigeria, the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi Jr, dismissed claims that lawmakers were plotting a showdown with the Speaker, describing the report as “misleading, divisive, and based on informal remarks taken out of context.”
Rotimi faulted a media publication that suggested discontent among lawmakers, stressing that “isolated comments and casual conversations from House WhatsApp groups cannot be mistaken as the official position of any caucus or the House itself.”
He emphasised that despite its political, ethnic, and religious diversity, the 10th Assembly “remains solidly united under the leadership of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.”
Acknowledging concerns about unpaid constituency projects, Rotimi clarified that the problem was part of broader fiscal challenges confronting the entire federation and not peculiar to lawmakers’ initiatives.
“Delayed contractor payments are a national challenge,” he said. “For weeks, the House leadership, through the Appropriations Committees, has engaged the Honourable Minister of Finance. Payments have now commenced, and we are committed to ensuring all outstanding 2024 obligations are cleared expeditiously.”
The House spokesman admitted that legislators faced mounting pressure from their constituencies, where citizens were eager to see nominated projects delivered.
“These agitations are valid and understandable,” Rotimi explained, “but they must be contextualised within current fiscal realities, not misinterpreted as signs of disunity within the House.”
Rotimi also addressed the controversy surrounding recruitment into the National Assembly bureaucracy, stressing that the exercise was exclusively handled by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
“The House leadership neither conducted nor supervised the recruitment,” he clarified. “It followed the principles of federal character, inclusiveness, and merit to ensure fair representation of Nigerians across states and geopolitical zones.”
He disclosed that Speaker Abbas Tajudeen had already directed the House Committee on Public Service Matters to probe the exercise, ensuring transparency and accountability.
The House dismissed as “false and divisive” suggestions that projects were being skewed in favour of certain regions.
“Development is not unfairly concentrated in any one region,” the statement stressed. “The House operates on principles of equity, justice, and fairness in line with its constitutional mandate.”
Reiterating its commitment to transparency and inclusiveness, the House urged members of the public to disregard insinuations of a rift.
“The House of Representatives under Speaker Abbas Tajudeen remains focused on lawmaking, oversight, and representation. Our unity is not in doubt, and we remain committed to equity and fairness in all national matters,” Rotimi concluded.
