Senate Suspends Ningi For Three Months Over Budget Padding Claims

Senator Abdul Ningi was suspended by the Senate on Tuesday due to claims that the 2024 budget was padded with N3.7 trillion, as led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

After an extended, turbulent session in the red chamber, Ningi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was placed on three months of administrative leave.



The proposal for Ningi's 12-month suspension stemmed from claims of criminal disinformation and violation of peace in the National Assembly and, by extension, the nation, made by Jimoh Ibrahim, a senatorial member of the Appropriations Committee.



Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong of the Cross River South Senatorial District, who moved for the modification of the motion by Ibrahim, and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari of Oyo North, who prayed for the reduction of the suspension to six and three months respectively.

Following a voice vote led by Akpabio, who called Ningi's actions "grievous," the majority of MPs approved Ningi's three-month ban.



In an interview, Ningi stated that the N28.7 trillion budget that President Bola Tinubu passed and signed into law was biassed against the North and that the Federal Government is running two different versions of the 2024 budget.

Ningi's statements were attacked by numerous senators and the president, who called them "far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status."



Later on, Ningi would retract her claim that the nation was running two budgets, insisting instead that N3.7 trillion of the budget was unrelated to any initiatives, but N25 trillion was.



On Monday, Ningi declared that, even in the event of being suspended from the upper house of parliament, he was prepared to bear his cross.



"Removing Akpabio Through Civilian Coup"

Senator Ningi's allegations that the Senate's 2024 budget was bloated have been referred to by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of the Ekiti Central Senatorial District as a "civilian coup."



The Northern Senators' Forum, which Bamidele chaired, is accused of instigating Akpabio, a southern senator who succeeded Ahmad Lawan, in order to topple him. Bamidele, who is also the majority leader of the upper house, is incensed.



"What my big brother, outstanding Senator Abdul Ningi, whom I much respect, planned to do or set out to do was equivalent to a civilian coup which has failed. And in doing this, he wanted to use the platform of the Northern Senators’ Forum. God bless all those who have dissociated themselves from the Northern Senators’ Forum.”

According to Bamidele, Senators Ahmad Lawan and Aminu Tambuwal had "very peaceful tenures" as the Senate President from 2019 to 2023 and Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015.



The Senate Leader claimed to have contributed significantly to the achievements of Lawan and Tambuwal, who was elected governor of Sokoto State in 2015 and is currently a member of the Senate.



After Akpabio defeated former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdul'aziz Yari, in June 2023, Bamidele claimed that certain senators in the North still harboured reservations about him. The attempt to sabotage Senate President Akpabio's term has to end, according to Bamidele.



After receiving 63 votes, former governor of Akwa Ibom Akpabio was re-elected to lead the 10th Senate in June of last year.

Former Akwa Ibom governor Akpabio was re-elected to the 10th Senate presidency in June of last year with 63 votes, defeating Yari's 46 votes.



Additionally, this is my first speech as a Southerner. The initiative to postpone the Senate election until after June 13, 2023, must end, according to Bamidele.



It has always been about Akpabio, not about Mr. President, who signed this budget. We are gaining momentum. We should use this as a turning point to declare, "Let's have a Senate if we are going to have one." It is about our laws and the Federal Republic of Nigeria's constitution, not about North and South. It concerns the famine and deprivation of our people.

“Mr President, sitting as chair, a few people who felt they will not give you more than one year to be in this chair, wants to do everything possible before the 13th of June to remove you.”