…Governance takes back seat, FEC convenes just once in five months of 2026
…Lawmakers sit 17 days in 3 months
Political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election are increasingly dominating activities in Abuja, raising concerns among stakeholders that governance is losing momentum at a time when Nigeria faces mounting economic and fiscal pressures and worsening insecurity.
BusinessDay findings show that while politicians across party lines intensify consultations, alliance-building and early campaign positioning, key governance institutions are grappling with slowing policy execution, weak budget performance, and declining legislative productivity.
The shift comes as millions of Nigerians continue to face rising living costs, stubborn inflation, and the lingering impact of economic reforms that have strained household incomes and business operations.
The magnitude of the challenge is evident in the federal government’s weak budget performance. Latest figures from the Budget Office of the Federation show that as of the third quarter of 2025, only N3.10 trillion had been spent on capital projects out of the N23.44 trillion allocated for the year. This translates to a capital expenditure implementation rate of 13.2 percent and just 5.65 percent of total budget outlay.
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The report further revealed that gross revenue declined by 39 percent to N18.6 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, resulting in a shortfall of about N12 trillion compared with projected earnings. Retained revenue for the period stood at N16.48 trillion, also falling short of expectations by N12.03 trillion.
Analysts say the widening fiscal gap continues to limit the government’s capacity to fund infrastructure and social programmes, even as expenditure commitments remain high.
“What we are seeing is a widening gap between fiscal ambition and actual delivery capacity. This is beginning to affect both infrastructure rollout and social sector interventions,” Chike Onu, an Abuja-based fiscal policy analyst, said.
Despite these pressures, attention in the capital is increasingly shifting toward political positioning ahead of the next election cycle.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), which is responsible for approving major policies, programmes and projects across ministries, departments and agencies, has sat only once this year.
The meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu on March 4, saw the swearing-in of Tunde Disu as Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and board members of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
The FEC serves as the highest policy-making body of the federal government, and its limited convening this year has raised concerns among stakeholders about coordination across the bureaucracy and the pace of policy execution.
Some officials and analysts argue that the reduced frequency of meetings has slowed decision-making in critical sectors, particularly those requiring continuous executive oversight.
John Chikere, a director at Global Consult, told BusinessDay that, “When key coordinating bodies meet less frequently, it inevitably slows down decision-making in sectors that require constant executive attention.”
In the petroleum sector, where government revenue remains heavily dependent on crude oil earnings, industry operators say engagement at the ministerial level has become less visible in recent months.
Aside from routine bureaucratic obligations, such as the presentation of the 2026 budget proposal to the National Assembly in February and scheduled energy conferences, stakeholders say there has been a noticeable absence of dynamic, minister-led interventions addressing persistent operational challenges in the sector.
A senior operator in the sector, who requested anonymity, said the industry requires sustained political engagement due to its complexity and security sensitivities.
While noting that the executive order by President Tinubu mandating direct remittance of petroleum revenues into the Federation Account has improved short-term fiscal inflows, the operator warned that structural issues remain unresolved.
“Oil theft, host community agitations and investment concerns require active, hands-on ministerial diplomacy. Those issues do not resolve themselves,” the operator said.
According to him, while fiscal tightening measures have improved remittances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), deeper operational challenges continue to affect production and investor confidence.
The perceived shift in focus is not limited to the petroleum sector.
There are concerns that Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, has increasingly featured in political mobilisation activities linked to President Tinubu’s re-election bid rather than concentrating on the country’s significant ongoing health challenges.
Despite growing global health concerns, including renewed threats of Ebola outbreaks and Hantavirus infections in parts of the world, the minister’s public engagements have largely centred on political mobilisation rather than health sector communication.
In his X post on May 24, 2026, Pate highlighted political mobilisation efforts in support of the President. The minister praised what he described as strong unity and support from stakeholders and youths in his ward for Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
“It was great seeing the energy in my ward for @officialABAT re-election! Nigeria must move forward, despite these globally turbulent times,” he wrote.
In another post, the minister commended enthusiasm for the re-election campaign as within broader national resilience narratives.
Sources also note that Pate, who previously had political ambitions in Bauchi State, has not been visible at major health sector engagements or public briefings on pressing health matters in recent months.
The trend extends to the legislature, where political activities have increasingly overshadowed parliamentary work.
Data from the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) indicate that the Senate and House of Representatives sat for only 17 days between January and March 31, 2026, meaning the National Assembly was inactive for 77.1 percent of the period, well below expected legislative benchmarks.
The slowdown was compounded by prolonged recesses. The National Assembly did not sit in April after both chambers adjourned plenary on March 27, 2025, for Sallah and Easter holidays.
Lawmakers were initially scheduled to resume on April 29, 2025, but resumption was postponed to May 6, further extending legislative inactivity.
When plenary eventually resumed, BusinessDay observed a significant drop in attendance in the House of Representatives, as members became increasingly engaged in political activities, including defections and party realignments.
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The low turnout affected legislative productivity. Several bills listed for consideration could not proceed, while others were postponed due to the absence of quorum.
Among the affected proposals was the bill seeking to repeal and re-enact the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act, a key piece of legislation aimed at strengthening police funding, training, equipment and welfare.
The situation prompted an unusually candid remark from Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who presided over proceedings.
“Political parties activities are keeping members away; let’s finish quickly and go,” he said during plenary.
Following the brief sitting, the lawmakers adjourned again within the same week to participate in party primaries and related political engagements.
The ripple effect of political activity has also been felt within the executive arm, where several ministries are experiencing leadership disruptions linked to political ambitions.
For several months now, the Ministry of Transportation has operated without a substantive minister following the resignation of Said Alkali, who stepped down to pursue his governorship ambition in Gombe State.
The absence of a confirmed minister has raised concerns about continuity in policy execution within a sector critical to trade, logistics and national infrastructure development.
Observers say the combined effect of ministerial transitions, reduced executive coordination, and rising political engagements across government institutions reflects a broader governance strain as the country edges closer to the 2027 election cycle.
Stakeholders also point to persistent pressures in the agricultural sector, where concerns over food insecurity, inflation and policy inconsistency continue to deepen.
Abubakar Kari, a professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Abuja, said the government’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security and mechanisation programmes has been undermined by insecurity in rural farming communities.
“Despite such policies like the Renewed Hope Agenda and emergency interventions on food security, Nigeria continues to grapple with food shortages and rising staple food prices because bandits and kidnappers have driven farmers away from rural areas where most food is produced,” he said. “Until insecurity is tackled, especially in rural areas, food security cannot be achieved.”
He added that macroeconomic reforms such as fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification initially contributed to price surges, while import waivers on grains and rice have further weakened domestic production by depressing local prices and discouraging farmers.
Dolapo Bright, an agricultural expert, said many active farmers are being shut out of access to critical inputs, particularly quality seeds and fertilisers, limiting productivity and worsening food inflation.
Mustapha Abubakar of the Taraba State Agricultural Development Programme also noted that insecurity in rural areas, combined with late distribution of farm inputs, continues to undermine agricultural output and encourages poor productivity.
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Stakeholders argue that without addressing insecurity and structural bottlenecks, Nigeria’s food inflation challenge will persist despite policy interventions.
Meanwhile, the decline of the textile sector continues to reflect broader industrial stagnation.
In April 2025, the National Economic Council approved the establishment of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board to coordinate revival efforts across the sector.
However, more than a year later, implementation remains slow, with little visible progress on the ground.
As political activity intensifies across Abuja ahead of 2027, stakeholders warn that the growing focus on electoral positioning could further constrain governance delivery unless deliberate steps are taken to sustain policy momentum across key institutions.
“The danger is that governance momentum may weaken further as attention shifts toward electoral calculations,” Tunde Aina, an economist, warned.
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