Budget Padding: Ningi Threatens Court Action against Senate, Demands Recall

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Suspended  Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has written the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Senate leadership, demanding that the suspension placed on him be lifted.
Ningi wrote Akpabio through his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), noting that if his suspension was not lifted in the next seven days, he would drag the Senate before the Federal High Court.

The Senate, had March 12, 2024, sent suspended Ningi for three months over claim that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3.7tn.
Ningi, in a media interview with the BBC Hausa Service, had alleged that while the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year was N25tn, the one being executed by the presidency was N28.7tn.

However, at the plenary on March 12, the Senate took on the Bauchi Senator, at the end of which he was slammed with a three-month suspension for damaging the image of the Red Chamber over what senators decided was an unfounded allegation.
Following the pronouncement of the suspension, Ningi packed his things and walked out of the Red Chambers, waving hands to his colleagues.
He subsequently stepped down from his position as the Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum and was replaced by the All Progressives Congress Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua representing  Katsina Central.

However, two weeks after his suspension, Ningi, through his Lawyer, Falana contended that the process of his suspension was faulty through a letter to the Senate President which was received at the Senate President’s office on Wednesday.
In the letter,  Falana wrote: “On March 9, 2024, our client granted an interview to the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 Appropriation Act. He expressed his views on the budget of the federal government in the exercise of his fundamental right to freedom of speech guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“Dissatisfied with the interview, you caused our client to be put on trial before the Senate on March 14, 2024 contrary to the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018.”
Falana, in the letter, stated that the Senate President acted as the accuser, prosecutor and judge in the case, saying this was in utter violation of the provisions of Section 36 of the  1999 Constitution.

The legal activist argued that apart from violating Ningi’s fundamental right to a fair hearing, the Senate also violated the right of the people of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District to representation in the Senate for three months.
“This is a breach of Section 111 of the Constitution and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal High Court had struck down the suspension of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who had accused the leadership of both houses of budget padding, corruption or abuse of office.”