Budget Padding: Ningi Demands Reinstatement Within 7 Days

Suspended senator representing Bauchi Central senatorial district, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has written a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Upper House leadership to reinstate him within seven days.
Ningi, who wrote Akpabio through his lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), warned that if his suspension was not lifted at the expiration of the deadline, he would seek legal redress.

The Senate on March 12, 2024, gave Ningi three months’ suspension over his claim that this year’s budget was padded to the tune of N3.7 trillion in an interview he granted BBC Hausa Service.
However, two weeks after the disciplinary action, Ningi, through his counsel, contended that the process of his suspension was faulty.
The letter he wrote to Akpabio was acknowledged by the Office of the Senate President on Wednesday.

“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,” the letter reads in part.

Ningi said the Senate president acted as the accuser, prosecutor and judge in the case, adding that this was in utter violation of the provisions of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
“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.”

He warned that “if you fail to accede to our request seven days upon receipt of this letter, we shall not hesitate to pray to the Federal High Court for reinstatement.”