In the State House, President Bola Tinubu is convening with Senate officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This assembly follows the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi Central (PDP), who claimed the 2024 Budget was inflated by ₦3 trillion.
Senator Ningi, who leads the Northern Senators’ Forum and the Senate Committee on Population, accused the government of implementing a budget that exceeds the one approved by the National Assembly in a BBC Hausa Service interview.
He asserted that the actual budget debated and passed was ₦25 trillion, not the ₦28.7 trillion currently in use.
“We’ve hired consultants to dissect the budget,” Ningi stated. “They’re examining it meticulously, and we’ve noticed significant discrepancies that affect not just the north but the entire nation. We plan to discuss these findings with the Senate President.”
However, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, refuted Ningi’s allegations, clarifying that President Tinubu presented a ₦27.5 trillion budget on November 29, 2023, which included ₦9.92 trillion for recurrent expenses, ₦8.25 trillion for debt service, and ₦8.7 trillion for capital expenditure.
Onanuga found Ningi’s claims perplexing, emphasizing that the Senate could not have debated a ₦25 trillion budget that was never submitted.
He counseled Ningi to scrutinize details more closely before making such significant allegations.
Despite the rebuttal, Ningi stood by his assertion that ₦3.7 trillion of the 2024 budget remains unaccounted for.
Consequently, the Senate imposed a three-month suspension on Ningi due to his allegations.
While some demand an investigation into Ningi’s claims, other northern senators have distanced themselves, stating that Ningi does not represent their views.
