Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he has never laid eyes on the National Assembly's budget, raising fresh concerns about transparency in the legislature's finances.
Akpabio made the disclosure while responding to a motion that sought to create an Internal Tender Board for the National Assembly, brought by Senator Sunday Karimi from Kogi West.
The Senate president stressed that the legislature must prioritise financial transparency before pursuing any procurement reforms. "Personally, I have not seen the budget of the National Assembly," he told the chamber.
Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, echoed similar frustrations about the opacity shrouding the institution's spending. He said lawmakers themselves often don't understand how the National Assembly allocates its funds.
Aliero blamed the absence of a functional Budget and Research Office for the confusion. "We don't even see the budget of the National Assembly being presented here so that we can interrogate and understand the lines of expenditure," he told the Senate.
He urged Karimi to withdraw his motion, arguing that fixing internal processes must happen before tackling procurement issues. "Let us get the house right first," Aliero said.
The Senate ultimately stepped down Karimi's motion after lawmakers raised objections. Several senators described it as premature and said it lacked sufficient internal consultation before being brought to the chamber.
Karimi had argued that the Internal Tender Board would strengthen the institution's capacity and protect its financial independence. He cited Section 81(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the National Assembly funding through a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
"The Senate notes that Section 81(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended guarantees the independence of the National Assembly," Karimi said when moving the motion.
He also referenced Section 51 of the Constitution, which allows each chamber to control its own procedures and internal management.
The withdrawal marks a significant setback for the tender board proposal and highlights growing unease about how the legislature manages public funds allocated to it.
