The Budget Office of the Federation has issued a firm defense of Executive Order 9 (EO9), describing it as a tool for constitutional fidelity rather than an attempt by the Presidency to bypass the National Assembly.
In a press statement released on Monday, Tanimu Yakubu, Director-General of the Budget Office, addressed growing concerns that the order amounts to executive law-making.
Yakubu argued that EO9 does not create new laws but simply enforces the constitutional custody of Federation revenues as mandated by Sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution.
These sections require all monies received by the Federation to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Federation Account before they can be shared or spent.
The order specifically targets the oil and gas sector, directing that all petroleum revenues including royalties, taxes, profit oil, and penalties be remitted directly into constitutionally recognized accounts.
Yakubu clarified that the instrument does not amend the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) or interfere with legislative powers. Instead, he characterized it as an administrative necessity to ensure fiscal integrity, stabilize the macroeconomy, and provide credibility to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributions.
The Budget Office concluded that the judiciary remains the appropriate venue for those disputing the validity of the order.
However, until any judicial intervention occurs, the Executive maintains it is duty-bound to protect the nation’s revenue from being warehoused in unauthorized accounts.