Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi Over Budget Padding Allegations

The Nigerian Senate has made a decision to suspend Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, following allegations of budget padding amounting to 3 trillion Naira against the red chamber.

The suspension, set for a duration of three months, came after a heated debate on the accusations raised by Senator Ningi during the Senate session on Tuesday, 12th March.

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, a member of the Appropriation Committee, initially proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, citing the seriousness of the allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace within the National Assembly and the country.

Other lawmakers such as Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari pushed to amend the motion, reducing the suspension duration to six and three months, respectively.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Ningi’s offense as “grievous,” prompting a majority of the senators to support the three-month suspension.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Senator Abdul Ningi highlighted discrepancies in the 2024 budget, alleging an additional 3 trillion Naira beyond the passed budget of 25 trillion Naira.

The National Assembly refuted claims of budget padding and clarified that the budget presented by the Executive was 28 trillion Naira, which was duly approved.

President Bola Tinubu signed the budget into law on 1st January, increasing the total to 28.7 trillion Naira after adjustments to allocations for several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) due to funding inadequacies.

Despite the ongoing dispute between Senator Ningi and the presidency, the issue of budget padding continues to spark discussions across the country.