On Tuesday, the Senate encountered a brief episode of tension before the start of the plenary around 11 am when Senator Olamileken Adeola (Ogun West), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, entered the chamber in a visibly agitated state. In a loud voice, he insisted on transparency, proclaiming, “No closed door, let’s do it open.”
This incident followed Senator Abdul Ningi’s accusations on Monday, implicating the National Assembly in padding the 2024 budget with a staggering N3 trillion. Senator Ningi clarified that his remarks were not about President Bola Tinubu running two budgets but centered on an unaccounted N3.7 trillion within the budget.
Addressing journalists, Senator Ningi explained, “We have established the N3tn of that budget; we have not established its location and the place.” He clarified that the intention of the Northern Senators Forum was to discuss their findings with the Senate President and subsequently with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In response, Senator Adeola, who initially intended a press conference on Sunday but decided to address the issue within the Senate, expressed that the best platform for responding to such allegations involving an insider was the Senate Chamber.
Senator Adeola emphasized that the renaming of the airport and the subsequent allegations were not connected, and the decision to rename the airport was made after consulting relevant stakeholders, including the State Executive Council and with the President’s approval.
Meanwhile, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) announced his intention to prosecute Senator Ningi for what he deemed as misinformation and false accusations against the Senate. He asserted that such claims were causing harm to the Senate’s integrity and planned to seek legal action if the Senate did not take appropriate steps within seven days.
The Northern Senators Forum responded to Senator Ningi’s claims, stating that his views were personal, incorrect, and misleading. They clarified that there was no meeting where Senator Ningi was mandated to address the press on the budget issue. The Forum expressed solidarity with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and disassociated themselves from Senator Ningi’s actions, emphasizing the need for collaboration to address national challenges.
Notably, the budget presented by President Tinubu was stated to be N27.5 trillion, with the National Assembly passing a budget of N28.7 trillion after deliberations. The Northern Senators rejected allegations of budget padding and affirmed their commitment to working together for the progress of the country.
