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President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has announced that the upper chamber will soon reassess Senator Abdul Ningi's three-month suspension. Ningi was suspended due to allegations of budget padding in the N28.78 trillion 2024 budget, amounting to N3.7 trillion.
Akpabio made this statement upon returning to Nigeria after attending the 148th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland. He mentioned that although he has not received any official letter from Senator Ningi, he anticipates Ningi's return to legislative duties, as the issue will be handled internally within the Senate.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, had reportedly appealed to Akpabio and the Senate leadership, through his lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, requesting the lifting of his suspension. Falana emphasized that failure to lift the suspension within seven days would lead to legal action against the Senate at the Federal High Court.
Falana argued that Ningi's suspension violated his right to a fair hearing and the people of Bauchi Central Senatorial District's right to representation in the Senate. He cited constitutional and human rights violations in the process, accusing the Senate President of assuming multiple roles in the case, contrary to legal provisions.
On March 12, 2024, the Senate suspended Senator Ningi for three months based on statements made during a media interview with the BBC Hausa Service, where he alleged unaccounted N3 trillion in the 2024 budget. This suspension prompted Ningi's resignation as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, with Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua of the All Progressives Congress taking over the role.
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