BREAKING: Senate Suspends Senator Ningi For Three Months

The Senate has suspended Senator Abdul Ningi for three months from all legislative duties.

Ningi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was suspended during Tuesday’s plenary over allegations of padding of the 2024 budget.

Ningi is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Population and represents Bauchi Central.

While the parties called for a probe into the allegation, some northern senators disowned the claims made by Ningi, saying the Bauchi State senator did not speak for them.

A member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country by extension.

However, other lawmakers like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong moved for the amendment of the motion by Ibrahim.

Ekpenyong, who is from Cross River South Senatorial District, prayed for the reduction of the suspension to six months.

However, it was agreed that the Bauchi lawmaker will be suspended from the Senate for three months without pay.

Recall that Senator Ningi, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.

The Bauchi senator, however, maintained his position on Monday that N3.7tn could not be accounted for in the 2024 budget.

He also claimed that the 2024 budget passed is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.