Tinubu Cuts Lawmakers’ #1bn Constituency Fund to #500m Over Budget Shortfall – Rep. Gagdi
Tinubu Cuts Lawmakers’ #1bn Constituency Fund to #500m Over Budget Shortfall – Rep. Gagdi
Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu has reduced the ₦1 billion constituency project allocation for each federal lawmaker to ₦500 million due to financial constraints in the 2025 national budget.
In a viral video shared online, the Plateau lawmaker, who represents Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam Federal Constituency, explained that contrary to popular belief, federal lawmakers do not personally receive cash for constituency projects.
“Our legislative system is different from that of the State Assembly. No federal legislator handles constituency funds directly,” Gagdi clarified. “Each state gets a ₦1 billion project envelope, which is then divided among all National Assembly members from that state.”
He explained that the amount available per lawmaker depends on the number of representatives from each state. “For example, Kano has 27 members, so they share ₦1 billion among themselves. In Plateau, we are only eight, so each of us gets ₦125 million worth of projects,” he said.
Gagdi added that lawmakers often seek extra support by lobbying ministries and agencies for additional projects in their constituencies.
“I have never received more than ₦125 million worth of projects before now,” he said. “But this year, President Tinubu raised it to ₦1 billion per House member and ₦2 billion for Senators. However, the President later reviewed it down to ₦500 million due to funding challenges.”
The lawmaker disclosed that despite the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Act, no capital project funds had been released so far to either the Executive or the National Assembly.
“It was just last week that Mr. President informed the Speaker that the 2025 budget cannot be fully funded, leading to the cut from ₦1 billion to ₦500 million,” he stated.
