Senate Suspends Ningi Over Budget Padding Allegations

…Steps Down As Chairman Northern Senators Forum.

The Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of N3.7trn padding of the 2024 Budget.

Ningi, from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was suspended for three months after a long stormy session in the red chamber.

A member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country by extension.

However, other lawmakers like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong moved for the amendment of the motion by Ibrahim. Ekpenyong, who is from Cross River South Senatorial District; and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari from Oyo North prayed for the reduction of the suspension to six and three months respectively.

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Akpabio, who described Ningi’s offences as “grievous”, conducted a voice vote during which most of the lawmakers voted in support of Ningi’s suspension for three months.

In an interview, Ningi had claimed that the Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget and that the N28.7 trillion Budget passed and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu was skewed against the North.

Many Senators and the Presidency had pounced on Ningi, describing his claims as “far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status”.

Ningi would later deny saying that the country is operating two budgets but insisted that only N25trn of the budget was tied to projects while N3.7trn had no project tied to it.

Ningi had on Monday said he was ready to carry his cross, even if it means suspension from the upper legislative chamber.

Meanwhile, Senator Ningi has stepped down as the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum.