In what could be mistaken as comic relief during the serious business of budget presentation, President Bola Tinubu jovially referred to a joint session of the 10th National Assembly as the 11th National Assembly.
Christened the ‘Budget of Restoration’, the President presented his second budget estimate of N47.9 trillion before members of the Green Chamber and the Red Chamber.
Tinubu began his 30-minute presentation at 12:40pm in the midst of cheers from legislators, a significant number of whom are members of his All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu’s presentation followed a speech by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“In fulfilment to one of my constitutional duties and unyielding commitment to rebuilding Nigeria towards ensuring that we remain steadfast on the journey to a prosperous future, I hereby present the 2025 budget to the joint session of the 11th National Assembly,” Tinubu said in his initial statement.
The joint session of the National Assembly exploded in a fit of giggling and cheers, with many making moves to tell the President the current National Assembly is the 10th and not the 11th.
Sensing the waves of sensation his pronouncement had caused, Tinubu said, “10?”, drawing in an attestation from the legislators. “I wrote 11 which means you are all re-elected,” the President said wittily.
