Budget padding: Senator Ningi resigns as Forum Chairman

By Mo Isa

The Senator Representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has been suspended by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, over budget padding.

CONVERSEER reports that Ningi was suspended on Tuesday (12 March 2024) for three months over allegations surrounding the padding of the 2024 budget with over N3 trillion.

Before his suspension, Ningi had already resigned as the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum.

According to his resignation made available to CONVERSEER, Ningi said his decision was due to the unfolding events in the National Assembly, the North and the Nation at large.

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The resignation letter addressed to the Secretary, Northern Senators Forum, 10th National Assembly, and signed by Ningi on Monday (11 March 2024), read:

“I will like to resign my position as the Chairman of Northern Senators forum. This is of course necessitated by unfolding events in the National Assembly, the North and the Nation at large.

“I will like to specially thank members of the forum for the opportunity given to me for the last eight (8) months to spearhead this very important forum. I believe this forum is very important and fundamental to the progress and development of northern Nigeria.”

CONVERSEER further reports that another senator has accused some lawmakers of getting as much as N500 million from the budget.