The House of Representatives has called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Mr Zach Adedeji, to resign from office over the failure to release funding for capital projects in the 2025 federal budget, lawmakers said on Wednesday, according to parliamentary sources.

The demand emerged during a tense session of the House Committee on Appropriation in Abuja where members expressed frustration at the zero or near-zero implementation of the capital components of the 2025 budget, despite revenue growth and excess crude earnings recorded last year.

Hon. Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, opened the session by highlighting that the legislature had earlier approved an executive request for about ₦1.15 trillion to fund specific capital items, yet actual releases for capital projects remained effectively zero, leaving key infrastructure and development work stalled across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Members of the House, visibly angered by the situation, accused the three officials of incompetence and mismanagement, saying poor funding performance was undermining economic growth and delaying crucial projects that would benefit Nigerians. During the meeting some lawmakers raised their voices and openly called for the ministers and NRS chairman to step down for failing to ensure that approved capital funds were deployed as intended.

In defence, Minister Edun attributed the poor implementation to a shift away from unsustainable financing methods such as money printing, saying the government had curtailed those practices even for capital release. He said detailed explanations on capital funding were deferred to the Minister of State for Finance who was expected to appear before the committee later.

Minister Bagudu added that about 70 per cent of the 2025 capital budget had been rolled over into the 2026 budget to ensure more coherent funding certainty and execution, a position he said was taken in consultation with the National Assembly. The NRS chairman said revenue for 2025 exceeded expectations, but lawmakers remained unconvinced that fiscal performance translated into capital spending.

The legislature’s demand for resignations reflects growing tension between the executive and lawmakers over budget execution and accountability, with critics warning that continued under-funding of capital projects could derail infrastructure development and weaken confidence in economic policy.

The committee adjourned further hearings on the matter as the House plans additional sessions to press for clarity on funding mechanisms and implementation timelines.