The Peoples Democratic Party called for Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s resignation on Wednesday in order to permit an impartial probe into the purported N3.7 trillion budget padding for 2024.
The senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, brought up the accusation of budget padding.
In a media interview, Ningi asserted that the N28.7 trillion budget being implemented by the Presidency was in contrast to the N25 trillion budget approved by the National Assembly for the fiscal year 2024.
Ningi, however, was given the opportunity to refute the accusation at Tuesday’s plenary session. As a result, the senators severely punished him with a three-month suspension for tarnishing the reputation of the Red Chamber over what they deemed to be a baseless accusation.
Responding on Wednesday, the PDP stated its support for the suspended senator in a statement released by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary.
The party strongly condemned the Senate leadership for suspending Ningi without looking into the issue of budget padding that he raised.
“The Peoples Democratic Party demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7tn was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
“The party also demands that Senator Akpabio immediately reports to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the pending case of alleged looting of N108bn belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State under his watch as the governor of the state
“Furthermore, the Senate President should speak out on the reported N86bn contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP termed Senator Ningi’s suspension as a last-ditch effort to obstruct an investigation, hide information, and cover up facts.
The opposition party added: “We ask, why did the APC leadership in the Senate not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of and what is it hiding from Nigerians?
“It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate President sat as a judge in the matter, a situation that has the capacity to bring the institution of the Senate to further public disrepute.
“This is especially as the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust which are serious offences under our laws.
“This apparent inclination towards covering up sleaze in the polity is already pitting the institution of the Senate against Nigerians who are demanding answers on the matter. Of course, the widely condemned suspension of Senator Ningi does not provide answers to the budget padding allegation.
“It is indeed unfortunate and a huge smear on the image of the Senate, as the highest lawmaking and probity institution in the country, that its Presiding Officer has found himself in a quagmire of alleged sleaze and betrayal of public trust.
“Our party therefore stands with Senator Ningi for his courage in seeking probity and accountability in the polity.”
