In recent updates of the controversy over the allegation of budget padding leveled against the presidency and senate president Godswill Akpabio by Senator Abdul Ningi in an interview with BBC that the Northern Senators’ Forum had uncovered disproportionateness and padding of the 2024 budget to the tune of N3.7trillion. Ningi who chairs the NSF, and previously insisted that the Forum would soon confront Senate president Godswill Akpabio with the findings of consultants it engaged to scrutinize the 2024 budget and meet the president on the issues—says at a news conference in Abuja that his postings on the BBC interview were not accusing President Tinubu or anyone else but a pointer to the claim that N3.7 trillion was loafing, and the funds were not accompanied by any proposed project.
Recall, that the Senate may be in for a tense plenary today as senators meet to take a position on the allegations and may likely slap sanctions including a suspension which Ningi claims he’s not afraid of. However, he has continued to deny saying that President Bola Tinubu was operating two separate 2024 budgets. Ningi told reporters that the views he expressed during his weekend interview aired on BBC were his opinion and not those of the NSF. The senator explained that his interview was misrepresented, stressing that he granted it in Hausa and not English. Ningi added: “At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing two budgets. At no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the North. The Hausa version is there. At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing an N25 trillion budget.”
