The Senate has recalled Senator Abdul Ningi, who was suspended three months ago for alleging budget padding within the chamber.
The recall was initiated on Tuesday after Deputy Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro moved a motion expressing regret on Ningi’s behalf. Moro accepted full responsibility for Ningi’s actions and acknowledged the seriousness of the suspension.
Ningi had been suspended on March 12, 2024, following his accusations that the Senate had padded the 2024 budget. He claimed the Federal Government was running two versions of the budget and that the N28.7 trillion budget signed by President Bola Tinubu was biased against the north.
According to Ningi, the Senate had added N3.7 trillion to the original N25 trillion budget presented by Tinubu. However, Ningi later denied these statements when questioned by his colleagues.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Ningi’s unconditional recall after several lawmakers made brief appeals. Akpabio highlighted Ningi’s resourcefulness and described him as a valuable member of the Senate, emphasizing that the decision to recall Ningi transcended religious and ethnic divides.
The recall occurred just two weeks before the suspension was set to end on June 12, 2024. Akpabio, who had previously described Ningi’s allegations as serious, conducted a voice vote in which the majority of lawmakers supported the three-month suspension.