2018 budget: How National Assembly executives session saved Buhari from planned protest

Facts have emerged how the executives session of the Senate and House of Representives saved President Muhammadu Buhari against planned protest against his presentation of 2018 budget estimates.


The House of Representatives had protested when the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, read the notification last Thursday of the President seeking to present the budget estimate and, according to fact reaching FELLOW PRESS, the planned resistance was to come from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, the last minute checks and appeal to the lawmakers by Dogara had pacified their nerves after PDP held their caucus meeting.

A PDP honorable who attended the caucus meeting divulged that Dogara’s intervention saved the day, as he promised President Buhari would release zonal intervention funds.

“Dogara promised us and he aptly captured it in his farewell speech when he reminded Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, implement the 2017 budget. We were ready to go all the way and disrupt his presentation but Dogara’s intervention was the masterstroke that saved the situation.”

Minutes before Buhari’s arrival to the floor of the National Assembly, PDP legislator held their caucus meeting at the Hearing Room Two on how to stage the protest, which was confirmed by placards sighted with them reading ‘Implement 2016 and 2017 budget or resign’, ‘Change the change’, amongst other graffitti.

These placards were concealed underneath their clothes, even as the legislators refused to address journalists.

However, the majority of the lawmakers gave credit for Buhari’s budget presentation afterwards, as it went smoothly.