Adaramodu: Senate Collectively Suspended Ningi, No Decision Until Recess Ends

The spokesperson for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has said that only the Upper Legislative body has the right to decide on the suspension of one of its members, Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central).

Ningi was suspended by the Senate for alleging that the National Assembly padded the 2024 Renewed Hope Budget with the total sum of N3.7tn.

His suspension came after a motion by Senator Adeola Solomon (APC, Ogun West) moved against Ningi over a breach of privilege.

Prior to that time, Ningi had initially granted an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Services) where he was quoted to have said that the President in connivance with the National Assembly was running two separate 2024 budgets; one was N28tn and another N25tn.

The interview quoted him to have said, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the presidency.”

Two weeks into his suspension from the Senate, Ningi through his lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, wrote to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, demanding his reinstatement into the Red Chamber and also threatened a lawsuit against the presiding officer.

In the letter addressed to the Senate President, Falana described Ningi’s suspension as “a breach of Section 111 of the Constitution and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act.”

However, responding to whether Ningi had been reinstated, the Senate spokesperson said, “Only the Senate has the statutory power to reinstate Ningi.

“Senator Ningi was collectively suspended by the Senate and there is no decision that can be taken unless the Senate resumes. The Senate is currently on recess and no decision can be taken while the Senate is still on break.

“He was suspended in the open, in the presence of everyone, with the involvement of 108 other lawmakers and Ningi himself. So, a decision cannot be taken haphazardly.”