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The Nigerian Senate has suspended Senator Abdul Ningi, the Senator representing Bauchi Central for 3 months.
Senator Ningi was suspended over an interview he granted the Hausa service of the BBC where he claimed the 2024 budget was padded by over N3 trillion.
The BBC Hausa Service reported that Ningi claimed the National Assembly passed N25 trillion as 2024 budget and not the N28.7 trillion that was being implemented by the Federal Government.
It said Ningi spoke under the banner of Northern Senators’ Forum.
Speaking under the banner of northern Senators he accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of inserting projects worth N4 trillion in the 2024 budget.
He alleged that the projects, which had no locations, were inserted into the budget, which he also claimed was lopsided against the North and some parts of the South.
The northern senators also accused Akpabio of railroading the senators to hurriedly pass the budget, adding that it favoured Akpabio and his cronies.
However, Ningi has since denied making such allegations.
During plenary on Tuesday, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West) raised a motion that there is urgent need to address the false allegations by Ningi.
Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, then read the transcript of Ningi’s Hausa BBC interview on the floor of the house after Akpabio called for a committee of the whole.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim then moved for the suspension of Ningi for 12 months.
The session became heated with Majority of the Senators clamoring that it should be reduced to 3 months.
Details shortly…