Budget Padding: Senate To Recall Suspended Senator, Ningi In A Few Days, Says Akpabio

The President of the Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has indicated that the senate is considering recalling the suspended Senator, Abdul Ningi.

SaharaReporters had reported that Ningi was suspended for three-month after the Senate debated his interview with the BBC where he alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7trillion.

But Akpabio while fielding questions from reporters on arrival from the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in Geneva, Switzerland said “I believe that in a few days, he will join us.”

Ningi in a letter through his counsel, Femi Falana SAN, had on Thursday, given the Senate President Akpabio seven days to recall him or face legal action.

But speaking to journalists, Akpabio said though he had not seen the said letter, it was already receiving due attention.

According to him, the matter would be resolved like a family affair and hopefully Ningi would return to take his seat soon.

He said, “It is a parliamentary decision. I have not seen the letter yet. But Senator Ningi is one of us. I mean what is suspension? I believe that in a few days, he will join us.

“So, there is no problem,” he maintained adding, “it would be resolved amicably. The Senate is a family,” Akpabio said.