The Senate appears to be considering the recall of Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, from his three-month suspension.
Story Recap:
The story revolves around allegations of budget padding in the 2024 appropriation budget by the Senate. Senator Abdul Ningi raised concerns in an interview with BBC Hausa, revealing his findings that the budget was padded with over 3 trillion naira. The Senate denied these allegations and subsequently suspended Senator Ningi for his remarks against the institution.
Despite his suspension and disengagement by the Northern State Council of Senators, Senator Ningi maintained his position on the matter.
Two weeks later, Senator Abdul Ningi, through his lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), sent a letter to Senator Akpabio demanding his reinstatement. He criticized his suspension as flawed and threatened to escalate the issue to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, citing disregard for judgments from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal on the Senate’s authority to suspend or expel a legislator and withhold their salary. Additionally, he warned of legal action against the Senate if the suspension was not withdrawn within seven days of receiving the letter.
In response to these developments, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that the Senate would review Senator Ningi’s suspension over his claims of budget padding in the 2024 budget, amounting to N3.7 trillion.
Speaking to reporters upon his return from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Senator Akpabio stated that while he had not personally seen the letter from Senator Ningi’s lawyer, he acknowledged its delivery.
Senator Akpabio expressed his intention to address the matter in a manner akin to resolving a family affair. He hoped for a swift resolution, indicating the possibility of Senator Ningi returning to his seat earlier than anticipated.
