The Nigerian Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of padding the 2024 Budget.
Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was suspended following his allegation of N3.7 trillion budget padding in an interview with BBC Hausa.
However, Ningi on Monday denied some of the claims in the interview, saying he was quoted out of context.
According to the Senator, the Northern elite is dissatisfied with this government, adding that the North has been neglected.
He had said, “This is true (about the review of the government) for the past three months, we have engaged consultants to review the budget for us. We have some experts that are working on it line by line. We have seen the huge damage that was done not only to the north but the entire country in that budget. We are supposed to sit with the Senate President to inform him about what we have observed.”
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, a member of the Appropriation Committee 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 parliamentarians like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong moved for the amendment of the motion by Ibrahim. Ekpenyong, who is from Cross River South Senatorial District, sought a reduction of the suspension.
Ningi was suspended for three months following a stormy session in the red chamber.
