‘N3trn budget padding’: Northern senators disown Ningi, back Tinubu

Senators from the 19 states in the North have disassociated themselves from claims by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), that the 2024 national budget was padded to the tune of N3 trillion.

Ningi had made the allegation on Saturday during a BBC Hausa Service interview, where he submitted that the Northern Senators forum would take it up with the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year was N25 trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency was N28.7 trillion, insisting another budget was passed “underground.”

But reacting in a joint statement on Monday in Abuja, the Northern Senators, Aminu Iyal Abbas (Adamawa), Ibrahim Bomai (Borno), Abdulaziz Yar’adu (Katsina), Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna), Jibrin Isah (Kogi), Diket Plang (Plateau) and Saliu Mistapha (Kwara) disowned Ningi’s submission and backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

Recall that another joint statement on Sunday signed by Senators Steve Sunday Karimi, (Kogi), Titus Tartenger Zam (Benue) and Kaka Sheu (Borno) said Ningi was on his own.

The joint statement reads in part, “We, the undersigned on behalf of the Senators from the 19 Northern States and the FCT, under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum (NSF), hereby state that Senator Ahmed Abdul Ningi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bauchi Central Senatorial District, who also happens to be the chairman of our forum, was on his own in the claims he made on the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 budget.

“Ss such, the view he expressed was his personal opinion, sentiment and unfortunately skewed, incorrect and misleading. That there was never a time where we held a meeting and mandated Senator Ningi to address the press on the said matter.

“That the budget was presented to the National Assembly during a joint session of the two chambers – Senate and House of Representatives – by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 29, 2023, in line with the requirement of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That both chambers of the National Assembly diligently and meticulously debated, processed and passed the proposal of the President. And satisfied with it, the President assented to it.

“It is clear that Mr President presented a budget of N27. 5 trillion to the National Assembly and the Assembly passed a budget of N28.7 trillion based on the need to make increases or decreases in the appropriations of the various MDAs which is in tandem with the legislative powers of the National Assembly in order to address critical projects and services across various sectors.

“Therefore, the statement made by Senator Ningi that the 2024 budget presented to the National Assembly by Mr President was the sum of N25 trillion was not correct and that should not be taken as the position of the Northern Senators Forum.

“That to the best of our knowledge there was no budget padding, whatsoever that was done to the 2024 budget. The assertion by Senator Ningi that certain things were done to the bill is his personal opinion. It is not the view of the generality of us, the Northern Senators.

“Hence, we strongly and collectively dissociate ourselves from his action which was grossly unparliamentary. That, we, the Northern Senators are solidly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we will continue to support him to succeed in addressing the challenges facing our country.

“Nigeria, at this particular moment does not need ethnic sentiments but collaborations of all to bring prosperity to our beloved country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We will continue to work with our brothers and sisters from the southern part of the country to move our country forward for the benefit of all and sundry.”