Just in: After two-month suspension, Sen. Ningi returns to Senate

Following the lifting of his suspension, Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central in the Nigeria Senate, resumed his duties on Tuesday.

Clad in a traditional white outfit, Ningi arrived at the Senate complex in a chauffeur-driven vehicle.

Persecondnews recalls that the Senate suspended Ningi on March 12, 2024, but lifted the suspension on May 28, 2024, after Deputy Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, moved a motion apologizing on Ningi’s behalf and taking full responsibility for his actions.

Following appeals from his fellow senators, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Ningi’s unconditional reinstatement, recognizing his significant contributions and valuable presence in the Senate.

Two weeks prior to its scheduled expiration on June 12, 2024, they lifted his suspension.

Persecondnews recalls that Ningi’s return to the Senate comes after a provocative interview with the BBC’s Hausa Service in March, where he made claims of widespread budget padding, leading to a heated three-hour debate and his subsequent suspension.

Ningi has 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 another one was implemented by the presidency.

“The one approved by us is N25 trillion, while the one operated by the Federal Government is N28 trillion.

“Apparently, we discovered N3tn was inserted into the budget for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”