Tinubu Slashes Federal Lawmakers’ Funds: N1bn Constituency Project Cut to N500m Each — Gagdi Reveals
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cut the ₦1 billion constituency project allocation for each federal lawmaker by 50 per cent due to funding constraints in the 2025 national budget.
In a viral video circulating on social media, Gagdi, who represents Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, was seen explaining to a gathering that contrary to widespread public belief, federal lawmakers do not personally receive constituency project funds.
“Our parliamentary order differs from that of the State Assembly because no federal legislator receives constituency project funds,” he clarified. “The only thing we receive is a ₦1 billion envelope for constituency projects that is shared among all the legislators from a state.”
According to him, the distribution formula varies depending on the number of lawmakers in each state.
“For instance, in Kano, the ₦1 billion envelope is shared among 27 legislators. In Plateau, we are only eight members, so each of us gets ₦125 million worth of projects,” Gagdi explained. “As a legislator, I am required to bring projects that will be funded up to that amount.”
He noted that additional developmental projects seen in constituencies typically come from lobbying ministries and agencies for extra interventions.
Gagdi also revealed that until this year, he had never received constituency projects exceeding ₦125 million. This changed when President Tinubu increased intervention funding to ₦1 billion per House member, while senators received ₦2 billion each.
Despite the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Act, the lawmaker disclosed that no capital project funds had been released to either the Executive or the National Assembly.
“It was only last week that Mr. President reached out to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, saying that the 2025 budget cannot be funded,” he said. “Then Mr. President reduced our constituency intervention project from ₦1 billion to ₦500 million.”