12th March 2024
By Stephen Angbulu
President Bola Tinubu is in closed-door talks with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and other lawmakers at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Tuesday’s talks followed the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central (PDP), who accused the executive of implementing a budget other than the one approved on January 1, 2024.
Ningi, who chairs the Northern Senators’ Forum and Senate Committee on Population, had contended in a BBC Hausa Service interview that the Federal Government, led by Tinubu, was executing a budget significantly higher than what was passed by the NASS.
According to the lawmakers, a N25tn budget was debated and passed, not the N28.7tn that is currently being implemented.
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On Monday, Ningi maintained his position that N3.7tn could not be accounted for in the 2024 budget.
At plenary on Tuesday, the Senate suspended Ningi for three months over his claim.
