Budget Padding: Insider Reveals Plan To Recall Ningi, Says What He Needs To Do

The three-month suspension imposed on Senator Abdul Ningi due to allegations of N3.7 trillion budget padding for 2024 may undergo a review, sources reveal.

Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi State, was suspended by the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio amidst the controversy surrounding the allegations.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, a member of the Appropriation Committee, moved a motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months, citing accusations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country at large.

However, sources close to the Senate leadership indicated that the budget padding allegation was merely an attempt to smear the image of the National Assembly and divert attention from pressing issues.

According to one source, the issue leading to Ningi’s suspension is being resolved amicably. He stated, “I can tell you there is no tension in the Senate. The Senate remains one…The allegation about budget padding is just a ploy to tarnish the image of the Senate under Godswill Akpabio.”

The source suggested that Ningi could be reinstated if he offers a public apology to the Senate. He also questioned the validity of the budget padding allegation, emphasizing that the budget was prepared by the executive and that the House of Representatives plays a significant role in scrutinizing it.

Furthermore, he clarified that the allocation for Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs) for lawmakers’ constituencies does not involve direct payment to any lawmaker but is allocated for constituency projects.

Pressure has been mounting on the Senate to reconsider its decision, which some quarters deem unfair.