ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Vice President and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar on Monday paid a solidarity visit to Senator Abdul Ningi, at his residence in Abuja.
Sharing photos from the visit he wrote, “During a solidarity visit to Sen. Abdul Ningi, #Sen_AbdulNingi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, I stressed the importance of preserving the integrity of government institutions if the interests of Nigerians are to be better served and the envisaged development attained.
“I assured Sen. Ningi that he is not alone in the battle that earned him a suspension in the Senate. -AA”
Voiceofnaija.ng had reported that the Senate suspended Senator Ningi for three months on March 12, for accusing the leadership of the Senate of fraudulently smuggling projects worth N3 trillion into the 2024 budget.
The Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of N3.7trn padding of the 2024 Budget.
Ningi, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was suspended for three months after a long stormy session in the red chamber.
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Akpabio, who described Ningi’s offences as “grievous”, conducted a voice vote during which most of the lawmakers voted in support of Ningi’s suspension for three months.
In an interview, Ningi had claimed that the Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget and that the N28.7 trillion Budget passed and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu was skewed against the North.
Many Senators and the Presidency had pounced on Ningi, describing his claims as “far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status”.
Ningi would later deny saying that the country is operating two budgets but insisted that only N25trn of the budget was tied to projects while N3.7trn had no project tied to it.
Ningi had on Monday said he was ready to carry his cross, even if it means suspension from the upper legislative chamber.
However, the suspended Bauchi Central senator, Senator Abdul Ningi, has written to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, demanding his reinstatement, insisting that his suspension was illegal.
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Ningi in a letter through his lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that Ningi gave a seven-day ultimatum to the senate leadership to reinstate him or risk legal action.
Ningi had also claimed that he sought the services of a private auditor to review the budget and discovered some projects that did not have locations.
The proposed 2024 budget, the approved budget and Ningi’s document which he (Ningi), uses as a reference and discovered several projects worth billions of naira without specific locations and a proper description.
In the letter addressed to the Senate leadership, Ningi maintained that his suspension was illegal because the Nigerian parliament does not possess the power to “suspend or expel a legislator and confiscate his salaries and allowances.”
The letter reads: “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.
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“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.
“Specifically, the court declared the suspension of the affected legislators illegal and unconstitutional.
“As a senior lawyer, you (Akpabio) ought to have drawn the attention of the members of the Senate to these decisions and several others where the high courts of some states and the Court of Appeal have held that no parliament in Nigeria has the power to suspend or expel a legislator and confiscate his salaries and allowances.
“In view of the foregoing, you will agree with us that the suspension of Senator Ningi and the denial of his entitlements are illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.
“We are compelled to request you to ensure that the said suspension is lifted forthwith.
“However, if you fail to accede to our request seven days upon receipt of this letter, we shall not hesitate to pray the Federal High Court for the reinstatement of our client. We shall equally report you to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for treating the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal with disdain.”