Six FCT council chairmen again fail to appear before House committee over N100bn audit query

Six chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory’s area councils did not attend a House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on Monday to answer questions arising from audit reports that allege about N100 billion in financial irregularities.

The absence was the latest in a series of missed appearances by the council chiefs, who were summoned to explain expenditure and provide supporting documents related to audit queries. According to Channels Television, the committee is seeking clarification and documentation for ₦24.87 billion that the six councils reportedly spent on personnel, overheads and capital projects in 2021.

Why the hearing matters

The PAC oversees public expenditure and holds government entities to account on audit findings. The committee’s request for records and explanations follows audit reports that have identified potential infractions involving substantial sums. Daily Trust reported that the council chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, as an alternative date for their appearance before the committee; Punch and Daily Trust said the chairmen again failed to appear.

Procedural backdrop and next steps

The committee’s summons and the chairmen’s repeated absences highlight a standoff between parliamentary oversight and the local FCT authorities. Channels Television specifically noted the PAC’s interest in the ₦24.87 billion figure for 2021, while other coverage framed the matter as involving roughly N100 billion in queries from the audit reports.

None of the sources cited public comments from the council chairmen explaining the missed appearance on the most recent date. The PAC has, in the past, used summonses to compel attendance and to obtain financial records; how it will proceed after this latest no-show was not detailed in the reports.

Broader implications

Audit inquiries into local government finances are a recurrent feature of legislative oversight in Nigeria. When summoned officials fail to appear, it can delay the resolution of questions about public spending and the recovery or clarification of funds. The discrepancy in sums cited by reports — specific documentation requests totaling ₦24.87 billion for 2021 and broader audit queries involving about N100 billion — underscores the scope of the PAC’s inquiry as described by the outlets.

What is known and what remains unclear

• Known: Six FCT area council chairmen did not attend the PAC session called to examine audit queries tied to about N100 billion, and the committee has sought documents related to ₦24.87 billion in 2021 expenditures (Channels Television; Punch; Daily Trust).
• Known: The chairmen had requested September 22, 2026, as a date for their appearance (Daily Trust).
• Unclear: The reports do not include immediate responses from the chairmen for the most recent missed appearance, nor do they detail any new actions the PAC took at the session following the no-show.