Drama As Ogun Senator Fumes, Demands Open Session Over Alleged 2024 Budget Padding

There was a mild drama on Tuesday on the floor of the Senate before the commencement of the plenary over the allegation of the 2024 budget padding.

Recall that Senator Abdul Ningi, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.

The Bauchi Central Senator also claimed that the 2024 budget passed is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.

However, after a backlash, Senator Ningi on Monday recanted his earlier claims and said that he never said that the president was running two budgets, but N3.7tn has yet to be accounted for.

At about 11 am, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamileken Adeola (APC-Ogun West), stormed into the chamber angrily and demanded an open session.

The Senator, who was visibly angry in a high tone, kept saying, “No closed door, let’s do it open.”

Senator Adeola had on Sunday initially called for a press conference but postponed it, stating that the issue would be dealt with on the floor.

He further explained that his initial plan to address the issue of alleged budget padding had been withdrawn to the Senate to tackle the issue through internal legislative mechanisms.

Adeola, who spoke to the journalists, said since the allegation of budget padding was made by a serving Senator who participated in the consideration and passage of the budget, the best place to react was in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday.

He said, “As you people can see, many Senators are here with me across the six geo-political zones to react to what a senator said at the weekend on alleged two versions of the 2024 budget, but after realizing that there are laid down procedures and processes to follow in dealing with such a matter involving an insider, we have decided, to shift the venue of reaction to the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, after which, journalists would be briefed adequately.”