The 2026 budget defence session of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committees on Works descended into unprecedented chaos on Wednesday following a bitter, no-holds-barred confrontation between Deputy Senate Whip, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North) and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central).
What began as a routine scrutiny of the Federal Ministry of Worksโ N3.245 trillion capital appropriation proposal quickly spiralled into a floor battle over presiding authority, forcing an abrupt halt to proceedings and exposing the deepening fault lines within the National Assembly.
The session, convened at the National Assembly complex, was chaired by Hanga in his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee. He stood in for the indisposed Chairman, Senator Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South-East).
It was disclosed that Barinada was absent due to health challenges, a development that placed Hangaโa minority caucus memberโin the sensitive position of presiding over a budget defence featuring ministers and lawmakers from the ruling All Progressives Congress.
For nearly an hour, proceedings had progressed without incident. Works Minister David Umahi had taken his place before the joint panel, laying out the ministryโs capital estimates for 2026 and responding to lawmakersโ inquiries with technical detail and visible command of his portfolio.
Tensions, however, began to simmer when Nwaebonyi rose to speak. Initially, he appeared to be on a solidarity mission, commending Umahiโs performance and urging colleagues to rally behind the minister. But when his remarks stretched beyond what Hanga considered reasonable, the presiding officer intervened.
โSenator, please round up,โ Hanga directed, tapping the gavel.
Nwaebonyi froze mid-sentence. Then he fired back.
โYou cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Adams Oshiomhole to talk for 15 solid minutes,โ Nwaebonyi thundered, his voice rising above the murmurs that had begun to fill the hall.
He continued: โIโve barely spent about five minutes, and you are telling me to round up. I wonโt, and for your information, as a ranking presiding officer, I can take over proceedings of this session from you.โ
โI wonโt be ruled against by a minority senatorโ
Hanga, visibly irritated, struck the gavel againโthis time with greater forceโinsisting that Nwaebonyi had no authority to assume control of a session he was not constitutionally mandated to preside over. But Nwaebonyi was not done.
Accusing Hanga of oversteering, the Ebonyi North senator injected party affiliation into the quarrel.
โI am a ranking senator of the ruling party that cannot be ruled against by a minority senator,โ Nwaebonyi declared, his remark drawing sharp reactions from different corners of the hall.
Hanga, who represents Kano Central on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, appeared stung by the insinuation. He quickly retrieved his voter credentials, both real and rhetorical.
โThe votes that brought me to the Senate in June 2023 were 10 times higher than what you secured in Ebonyi North,โ Hanga retorted, his voice steady but edged with indignation. โYou cannot reduce this chamber to a contest of party labels. I am here by the will of my people, and I am presiding by the approval of this committee.โ
The exchange, which lasted several heated minutes, brought budget defence to a complete standstill. Clerks and legislative aides watched in silence as two senators traded verbal blows over who held superior moral and procedural authority.
Senior senators step in
It took the intervention of senior lawmakersโSenator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central)โto de-escalate the confrontation. Ndume, a veteran of many such floor battles, appealed to both men to sheath their swords in the interest of the committeeโs assignment.
โWe are here for the Nigerian people. Let us not allow personal grievances to derail the business of the nation,โ Ndume said, his baritone voice carrying the weight of decades on the red chamber floor.
Aliero echoed similar sentiments, urging Nwaebonyi and Hanga to allow the session to proceed. Order was gradually restored, and Umahi was invited to continue his presentationโthough the tension in the hall remained palpable.
Umachi throws down the gauntlet
Earlier, before the disruption, Umahi had seized the opportunity to challenge his critics head-on.
The minister dared lawmakers to physically inspect the ongoing AbujaโKadunaโZariaโKano road project, which has faced allegations of substandard workmanship and cost inflation. He assured the joint panel that he would voluntarily step down as minister if the project was found to be deficient.
โI am not afraid of inspection. In fact, I welcome it,โ Umahi said, his tone firm. โIf any committee or any Nigerian can show me where we have done substandard work on that road, I will resign. I have not come to steal; I have come to serve.โ
The challenge was met with mixed reactionsโsome lawmakers nodded in approval, while others maintained studied silence.
Breakdown of N3.245tn budget
Umahi proceeded to provide a detailed breakdown of the N3.245 trillion capital vote proposed for the ministry in the 2026 appropriation bill.
According to the minister, N760 billion has been earmarked for new projects spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country. He clarified that this allocation is separate from four designated legacy projects and the ongoing reconstruction of the AkwangaโJosโBauchiโGombeโMaiduguri roadโa critical arterial route that has suffered decades of neglect.
He also disclosed that the ministry requires an additional N7 trillion to complete various road infrastructure projects abandoned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Umahi explained that the funds would be sourced through domestic market bonds, a financing strategy he said would reduce reliance on expensive external borrowing.
โWe are engaging the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office to structure these bonds in a way that will not overburden the fiscal space,โ Umahi said.
Abandoned projects and legacy debts
The NNPCL-linked projects, many of which were conceived under previous administrations but left unfinished due to funding gaps and contractual disputes, have remained a sore point in Nigeriaโs infrastructure development trajectory. Umahi lamented the situation, describing it as a drag on national progress.
โThese are not new projects. They were started years ago, but they were abandoned. We cannot continue to abandon projects and expect the country to move forward,โ he said.
He assured the joint committee that the Ministry of Works was working on a comprehensive legacy project completion plan that would prioritise strategic routes with high economic impact.
Ongoing scrutiny
Wednesdayโs budget defence session is part of the National Assemblyโs ongoing sectoral scrutiny of ministries, departments, and agencies ahead of the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The legislature has signalled its intention to subject executive proposals to rigorous oversight, with several ministers already facing tough questioning on spending priorities, project implementation, and value for money.
But Wednesdayโs dramatic flare-up between Nwaebonyi and Hanga has raised fresh concerns about the stability of joint legislative sessions, particularly where presiding officers and ranking members belong to opposing political camps. Political observers note that with the 2027 general election cycle already generating early alignments and realignments, such confrontations may become more frequent.
What lies ahead
As at press time, neither Nwaebonyi nor Hanga had issued formal statements regarding the altercation.
The Joint Committee on Works is expected to continue its budget defence exercise in the coming days, with Umahi scheduled to provide additional clarifications on the ministryโs procurement plan, project prioritisation framework, and timeline for the completion of ongoing legacy projects.
For now, the image of two senators locked in a fierce gavel war over who may speak and who may preside remains the defining snapshot of a budget defence that promised technical details but delivered high political drama.
Discussion about this post