Ningi walks alone as Northern senators disown him over his claim on 2024 budget

Lawmakers under the aegis of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), have dissociated themselves from Senator Abdul Ningi's controversial comment about the 2024 budget.

The lawmakers said there was no budget padding, adding that Ningi's 'incorrect claim' on the 2024 budget should not be taken as their opinion.

Ningi had in a recent interview claimed that the executive is implementing a budget that the National Assembly did not approve.

The lawmaker representing Bauchi Central (PDP) said the National Assembly debated and passed a ₦25tn budget, not the ₦28.7tn that is currently being implemented.

Dismissing Ningi's claim as false, the presidency on Sunday, March 10, 2024, said the alleged ₦25tn budget was never presented to the Senate.

The presidency's position was further strengthened on Monday, March 11, 2024, when members of the Northern Senators Forum headed by Ningi dissociated themselves from their leader's allegation against the presidency and the National Assembly.

Ningi disowned

In their statement, the NSF said their chairman's claim on the 2024 budget is his personal opinion.

The lawmakers said there was no budget padding, adding that Ningi's 'incorrect claim' on the 2024 budget should not be taken as the opinion of the Northern Senators Forum.

The statement reads in part, "It is clear that Mr President presented a budget of ₦27. 5 trillion to the National Assembly and the Assembly passed a budget of ₦28.7 trillion based on the need to make increases or decreases in the appropriations of the various MDAs which is in tandem with the legislative powers of the National Assembly in order to address critical projects and services across various sectors.

"Therefore, the statement made by Senator Ningi that the 2024 budget presented to the National Assembly by Mr President was the sum of ₦25 trillion was not correct and that should not be taken as the position of the Northern Senators Forum.

"That to the best of our knowledge there was no budget padding, whatsoever that was done to the 2024 budget. The assertion by Senator Ningi that certain things were done to the bill is his personal opinion. It is not the view of the generality of us, the Northern Senators."

Ningi backtracks

Left isolated in the controversy, the Bauchi senator denied saying President Bola Tinubu was implementing a different budget other than the one the National Assembly approved.

While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Ningi said his claim was misrepresented.

Clarifying his claim, Ningi said, "With the press release I saw in the media yesterday, I am taken aback. At no time did I say Bola Tinubu is implementing two budgets.

"At no time did I say Bola Tinubu is implementing ₦25 trillion budget. There is no way I will talk about ₦25 trillion and ₦28 trillion.''

The lawmaker also denied saying Tinubu was biased against the north.