The Senate, on Tuesday, suspended Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central Senator and chairman of Northern Senators Forum (NSF) from the Red Chamber for three months.
The decision followed the lawmaker’s claim that the 2024 Budget was allegedly padded by N3trillion with two versions of the budget in circulation.
Before the suspension, lawmakers had debated a set of prayers contained in a motion earlier moved by Senator Olamilekan Adeola, Ogun West on the breach of his privilege following the claim by Senator Ningi.
The prayers sought punitive measures against Ningi for his action, among others, which included suspension from the Senate.
Ningi, who was reported to have made the claim during a BBC Hausa Service interview at the weekend, however, denied the reports on Monday, saying he was quoted out of context because he spoke in Hausa language.
At the resumed plenary of the Senate on Tuesday, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, raised the issue through a motion, calling for the investigation of the claim by Ningi.
Senator Olamilekan’s motion was seconded by Senator Joel Onawakpo, after which Senators engaged in a heated debate to speak on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central, accused the Bauchi Central Senator of an ulterior motive of plotting a coup against the Senate President Akpabio.
“What my big brother Senator Abdul Ningi planned to do was tantamount to a civilian coup on the platform of the Northern Senators Forum.
“Attempts to take the Senate leadership election beyond June 13 must be stopped.
“Mr. President, make no mistake. A few people who had given you not more than one year on the seat are planning to remove you before June 13 this year.
“Mr President, I plead with you, this is an opportunity to follow our rules. I beg all of you, let’s do the right thing today,” Bamidele said.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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