Senate recalls Ningi from suspension

The Senate has recalled Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) who was suspended for accusing its leadership of fraudulently smuggling projects into the 2024 budget.

The upper chamber announced Mr Ningi’s recall after it resumed from a close-door session which lasted for over one hour.

The resolution to recall the senator was a sequel to a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro, during the plenary on Tuesday.

The motion was also co-sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Olalere Oyewunmi, and the Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu.

The upper chamber suspended Mr Ninigi on 12 March.

The lawmaker had claimed that he sought the services of a private auditor to review the budget and discovered some projects that do not have locations.

PREMIUM TIMES reviewed Mr Ningi’s claim and found it to be true.

This newspaper reviewed the proposed 2024 budget, the approved budget and Mr Ningi’s document which he used as a reference and discovered several projects worth billions of naira without specific locations and a proper description.

At the time he made the claim, Mr Ningi was the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF).

Mr Moro, while presenting the motion, said the Senate minority caucus takes full responsibility for the offence of Mr Ninigi.

He thereafter apologised to the Senate leadership on behalf of Mr Ningi.

“Flowing from the above, the Senate minority leadership takes full responsibility for the actions of our colleague Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi and apologises on his behalf,” the minority leader said.

Details later…