The senate on Tuesday asked Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, to proceed with a month’s suspension over the claim that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion.
The red chamber handed the suspension after a motion on privilege moved by Solomon Adeola, senator representing Ogun west.
The senate session which degenerated into a rowdy one lasted for more than three hours.
Ningi, over the weekend, claimed that “huge damage” has been done to the north and the entire country through the budget.
The national assembly had passed a budget of 28.7 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year.
President Bola Tinubu had proposed N27.5 trillion, but the lawmakers jerked it up by N1.2 trillion.
While moving his motion, Adeola argued that his privilege was breached because he was part of the processes that produced the 2024 budget.
“My privileged has been breached because I was one of those who participated in the preparation of the budget. With was has transpired in the last three days my privilege has been breached,” the senator said.
“One of the senators of this chamber granted an interview to BBC Hausa and issues relating to budget waw mentioned.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have the full transcript – notarised – of the interview and I have here in a flash the voice of Abdul Ningi and I want to lay it before the senate.
“It becomes necessary because of the headlines that has come from these interviews.”
Though Ningi got up to defend himself, claiming that he had documents to back up his claim, majority of the senators sought his punishment.
Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, said the comments by Ningi was an attempt to “overthrow” Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“What he did was tantamount to a coup using the platform of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF),” he said.
