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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has said that Senator Abdul Ningi’s actions was like a civilian coup.
Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, had alleged that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3.7 trillion
Speaking during the debate on the issue at Tuesday’s plenary, Bamidele alleged that Ningi’s actions was an attempt to unseat the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
He added that Ningi intentionally want to incite the Northern Senators to plot Akpabio’s impeachment.
”What he set to do was tantamount to a civillian coup, which has failed. And in doing this, he wanted to use the platform of the Nothern Senators Forum. God bless those who have dissociated themselves as members of the Nothern Senators Forum,” he said.
Akpabio: Budget padding claims damaged Senate’s integrity
Meanwhile, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said claims of budget padding made by senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, has put the integrity of the Red Chamber at risk.
The senate plenary on Tuesday turned into a rowdy session over Ningi’s allegation that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion.
Ningi had in an interview with BBC Hausa Service alleged that “huge damage” has been done to the entire country through the budget.
The lawmaker further alleged that “apart from what the national assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know.”
Speaking during a debate on the issue by the senate committe on the whole, Akpabio said the senate has lost the respect of the citizens due to the unverifiable statement made by the senator.
“Nigerians are bashing the senate. Many Nigerians will never in the future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech.
“Instead of that, you said you have more documents to prove what you are saying. This thing is in the public glare. I am still waiting to receive full details up to this moment. If you had given me full details, I would have known what you know.
“So far, what you know is only known to you, it is not known to anyone else. I don’t know how you rushed to the press carrying different versions. The social media is very fast. From Canada, the United States, everywhere, the story was budget padding by the senate,” Akpabio said.
Meanwhile, the senate has suspended Ningi for three months after a motion on privilege moved by Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Ogun West.