It was a mix of cheers and drama at the joint session of the National Assembly on the 2025 budget presentation as Tinubu joked that all lawmakers are ‘reelected’ ahead of 2027
The National Assembly chambers turned into a mix of cheers and drama last Wednesday as President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget estimates to a joint session of the 10th assembly.
In a moment of apparent spontaneity, the President mistakenly referred to the current assembly as the “11th assembly” but quickly corrected himself in a manner that sent the chamber into a frenzy.
“I hereby present the 2025 budget to the joint session of the 11th National Assembly,” Tinubu said, drawing loud shouts of correction from lawmakers who reminded him it was still the 10th Assembly. Without missing a beat, Tinubu quipped, “10th? I wrote 11th, which means you are all reelected.”
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The unexpected pronouncement triggered an uproar of laughter, applause, and a standing ovation from the lawmakers.
The 10th assembly will continue until June 2027, after which the 11th assembly will be inaugurated.
Earlier, on a nostalgic note, President Tinubu reflected on his legislative roots, describing the national assembly as a “house of thinkers and doers.” “It is a great honor and pleasure for me to be back where I started as I was once a member of this respected house,” he said, receiving nods of approval from many lawmakers.
However, the atmosphere briefly turned chaotic when a group of loyalist stood up mid-session to sing the president’s solidarity anthem, chanting, “On your mandate we shall stand, on your mandate we shall strangle…” Their performance was cut short by an immediate intervention from other members, who insisted on maintaining decorum.
The drama did not end there. As Tinubu concluded his address, some lawmakers attempted to call for a debate on the budget proposal, but their requests were unacknowledged by the presiding officer.
