How lawmakers cancelled budget protest after Tinubu’s $50,000, $30,000 alleged bribes to each Senator, Rep – Report

*Findings reveal two senators confirm receiving less than $50,000, each, two reps deny receiving money

*Aide to one of two reps who denied confirmed his boss received the $30,000 – Media 

*Nigeria ‘don enter one chance’ with Tinubu presidency – Olumoro

*No comment yet from Presidential Villa

By OUR REPORTER

“I can only wish my country and its people well because when it has come to this, where the President would never allow our elected lawmakers decide for the nation’s governance, independently believing that what money cannot do dies not exist, then I can tell you for free that Nigeria don enter one chance,” said Olumoro.

Nigerian Senators on Friday received $50,000, while their counterparts at the House of Representatives collected $30,000 each in bribes, for stalling a planned protest to halt the passing of the 2026 budget and disgrace President Bola Tinubu, according to an exclusive report by People’s Gazette online newspaper operating from Abuja, the seat of government.

The report said the protests were to hold due to longstanding grievances over funding for constituency projects, citing discriminatory treatment between the National Assembly leadership and members, Peoples Gazette can confirm.

The funds were distributed through the leaders of caucuses from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

In an earlier media report, Nigerian lawmakers had threatened to disrupt proceedings and stall the budget presentation, mainly due to what they tagged as Tinubu’s government’s failure to adequately implement the 2025 budget. However, the protest was abruptly abandoned shortly before Tinubu arrived at the parliament.

According to the report, it was learnt that lawmakers made the decision during a chaotic meeting between legislators, Finance Minister Wale Edun, and budget minister Abubakar Bagudu at the National Assembly, where members led by Ahmed Wase clashed with the leadership of the two chambers over unfair payment plans. Federal Inland Revenue Service chairman Zacch Adedeji was also present at the meeting.

Lawmakers present at the meeting last week, Tuesday, told The Gazette that the situation began when the Tinubu government agreed to release N850 billion for constituency project payments to legislators under mounting pressure.

However, things escalated immediately after the appropriation committees for both the Senate and the House of Representatives decided that ordinary members would receive only 30 per cent of the funds for their projects, while leaders of both chambers would have full access to their shares.

Meanwhile, sources told The Gazette on Friday that the leadership of the bicameral legislature received calls from the presidency few hours before the commencement of proceedings for the budget presentation by President Tinubu, urging them to plead with the aggrieved lawmakers, with a promise of financial inducement.

Tinubu, who arrived at the National Assembly Complex at about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, presented a proposed N54.46 trillion budget (appropriation bill) for the 2026 fiscal year before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The president was in the company of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume, ministers, and some governors, among others.

Five members of the House of Representatives reportedly confirmed that each of their colleagues received $30,000 minutes after Tinubu concluded the presentation of the 2026 budget. Four senators who spoke with this newspaper also confirmed the development, noting that they and their colleagues received $50,000 each for cancelling the planned protest.

Two senators, however, said they received less than $50,000, while two House of Representatives members denied receiving the money. However, an aide to the House of Representatives members who denied it confirmed that his boss received the $30,000.

The exclusive report, continuing, said a spokesperson for the Senate denied knowledge of the bribery when contacted.

According to the lawmakers, no one received money until the president was done presenting the budget. But they started receiving the money in cash immediately after Tinubu had finished presenting the budget.

“They said the money was a Christmas gift from the president to the honourables,” a lawmaker reported said Friday evening, adding that, “Christmas is the season to collect gifts, even from the president.”

Even though the money was collected to buy the lawmaker’s silence over alleged mismanagement of federal appropriations, the lawmakers dismissed ethical or legal consequences when asked about collecting large sums in cash, even though the transaction could carry criminal penalties under Nigerian laws against bribery and abuse of public trust.

The lawmakers, who confirmed receiving the funds, did so under anonymity to avoid being censured by the larger plenary, the report clarified.

It will be recalled what became the fate of Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, who was suspended for three months by the God’swill Akpabio-led Senate for making public statement in a media interview alleging that Nigeria’s 2024 budget was padded. The controversy surrounding the 2024 budget was re-ignited by this allegation that it was padded to the tune of about N3.7 trillion, representing more than 10 percent of the N28.78 trillion budget.

On Friday, two lawmakers separately shared multimedia material, The Gazette said, showing how $30,000 for Reps and $50,000 for senators in cash was packaged for members of both legislative chambers.

The DEFENDER, in ensuring balancing of the report, got in touch without Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, via his Whatsapp handle, to enable the president’s side be heard. But, as at the time of filing this report Saturday night of December 20, 2025, his reply was yet to come.

In an interview via Internet call with The DEFENDER Newspaper Saturday, chairman of a concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora United Kingdom, Abanikanda Olumoro, expressed worry that Nigeria is currently in danger of an indescribable kind of democratic government.

“I can only wish my country and its people well because when it has come to this, where the President would never allow our elected lawmakers decide for the nation’s governance, independently believing that what money cannot do dies not exist, then I can tell you for free that Nigeria don enter one chance,” said Olumoro.