Tag: 10th Senate

2026 Budget: FG to borrow again, as Senate flags ₦25.27tr deficit

Aminu Imam
FG to borrow again2

Nigeria will continue to borrow to plug its widening budget deficit, the 10th Senate has confirmed, amid mounting concerns that rising debt and weak revenue mobilisation could push the country toward fiscal distress. At a public hearing on the 2026 Appropriation Bill in Abuja, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, disclosed that the proposed 2026 Budget projects total expenditure of ₦58.47 trillion against expected revenue of ₦33.19 trillion, leaving a deficit of ₦25.27 trillion. Debt servicing alone is estimated at ₦15.90 trillion. Adeola said borrowing had…

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Senate to hold emergency plenary sitting tomorrow 

Aminu Imam
Senate on plenary sitting

The 10th Senate has announced that it will hold an emergency plenary sitting tomorrow Tuesday. The announcement, which was made yesterday in an statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, indicated that all senators have been kindly requested to attend the emergency plenary sitting. “The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has directed the reconvening of plenary for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, February 10th 2026”, the statement read. The emergency sitting, Odo announced, will commence at 12 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. This follows the Senate’s February…

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Senate denies rejecting electronic transmission of election results

Aminu Imam
Senate denies rejecting

The 10th Senate has denied a report that  it rejected the electronic transmission of election results during consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. The clarification came from the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, shortly after the upper chamber passed the Bill following a marathon session lasting almost 5 hours. Consideration of the contentious amendment to Clause 60, sub-section 3, of the Bill began at about 2p.m and stretched until 6.26p.m, fuelling speculation online that lawmakers had voted against mandatory electronic transmission of results. However, news made the…

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H’Reps approve $64.85 oil benchmark against Senate’s $60

Aminu Imam
H'Reps approve

The 10th House of Representatives yesterday adopted the Federal Government’s proposed crude oil benchmark of $64.85 per barrel for 2026, diverging from the Senate, which earlier approved a lower $60 benchmark under the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP). The House decision followed the consideration and adoption of a report by its committees on Finance, National Planning and Economic Development, which endorsed the executive’s oil price assumptions of $64.85, $64.30 and $65.50 per barrel for 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively. This came ahead of the presentation…

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‘2026 Budget to be presented this week’ – Senate

Aminu Imam
Senate on 2026 Budget

…Passes MTEF/FSP The 10th Senate has passed the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), indicating President Bola Tinubu is expected to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N54.4 trillion this week.  Senate President Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage yesterday, following the consideration and debate on the report presented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sani Musa. Akpabio described the MTEF as a prerequisite for the presentation of the national budget, underpinning that the document does not represent a final position of the legislature.…

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“If political office holders’ children can have Police orderlies, restore our own” – Senate to Tinubu

Aminu Imam
Senate to Tinubu

The 10th Senate has sought for an exemption from the order by President Bola Tinubu for the withdrawal of police personnel attached to ‘Very Important Persons’ (VIPs) nationwide. The upper chamber’s request on Wednesday was sequel to a Point of Order on Privilege raised by Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) during plenary. Recall that President Bola Tinubu had, on November 23, ordered the withdrawal of police personnel attached to VIPs nationwide. He also directed that the officers be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties across communities. ‎ In his Point of…

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Senate probes ₦15bn Safe Schools Fund, ₦6.2bn Police allocation

Aminu Imam
Senate probes

The 10th Senate has raised alarms over the use of ₦15 billion disbursed in 2023 under the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI), with particular scrutiny on the Nigerian Police Force, which received ₦6.225 billion, the largest single allocation. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia-North), chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the programme, voiced the concerns after questioning Hajia Halima Iliya, National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria. The committee highlighted reports of financial irregularities and unusually high consultancy spending in the multi-agency security programme designed to safeguard schools from…

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ECOWAS declares regional emergency across West Africa

Aminu Imam
ECOWAS declares

…As Senate confirms Tinubu’s request to deploy troops to Benin The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday declared a region-wide state of emergency following a fresh wave of coups and attempted power grabs that has shaken political stability across West Africa, culminating most recently in Sunday’s foiled mutiny in Benin Republic. The announcement was made by ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, during the 55th session of the Mediation and Security Council at ministerial level, held in Abuja yesterday. Touray said the escalating pattern of unconstitutional changes of…

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Tinubu nominates Dambazau, ex-Rivers Sole Admin. Ibas, others as ambassadors

Aminu Imam
Tinubu nominates ambassadors

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 65 additional nominees for ambassadorial positions to the 10th Senate for screening and confirmation, as contained in a letter conveyed to the NASS leadership. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read the letter at yesterday’s plenary, while the nominees include career and non-career ambassadors and high commissioners. The President, in his latest letter, explained that 34 persons were nominated as career Ambassadors and High Commissioners, while 31 others were nominated as non-career Ambassadors and High Commissioners. This development comes a week after Tinubu transmitted the names…

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Insecurity: Senate proposes death penalty for kidnappers

Aminu Imam
Senate orders NNPCL

The 10th Senate has passed a resolution classifying kidnapping as a form of terrorism. The lawmakers are calling for changes to the Terrorism Act so that kidnappers face the strictest punishments. During yesterday’s plenary session, senators agreed that anyone convicted of kidnapping should automatically receive the death penalty once the law is updated. This decision comes amid growing concerns over the rising number of abductions in the country and the urgent need to deter criminals. “The resolution requires that, upon conviction for kidnapping, the death penalty must be enforced”, the…

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