The Senate has granted Senator Abdul Ningi a pardon and has lifted his suspension, allowing him to resume his duties.
Senator Abdul Ningi, was suspended on March 12, 2024. following a three-hour debate sparked by his controversial interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation ( Hausa Service), in which he accused the National Assembly of inflating the 2024 budget by N28.7 trillion through padding
Ningi said, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the presidency.
“The one approved by us is N25tn while the one operating by the Federal Government is N28tn.
“Apparently, we discovered N3tn was inserted into the budget for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”
The decision came after Deputy Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro moved a motion on Tuesday, apologising on Ningi’s behalf and taking full responsibility for his action
Following a brief appeal by some colleagues, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Ningi’s unconditional reinstatement.
Akpabio praised Ningi’s contributions and valued membership, stressing that his recall is a unifying decision that goes beyond religious and ethnic boundaries, recognising his resourcefulness and commitment to the Senate
