The lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Abdul Ningi, on Tuesday denied saying the 2024 budget was padded according to the transcript read by Senator Solomon olamilekan Adeola Yayi.
Recall that, Ningi, on Monday, indicted the National Assembly for padding the 2024 budget with the sum of N3 trillion.
At a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the lawmaker said he never said that the president was running two budgets but that there was N3.7tn yet to be accounted for.
But speaking during the Senate open session in Abuja, Ningi described comments attributed to him as fake.
He said, “I have never said somebody was blinded. Secondly, I have never said the budget was padded.
“Let me concur to about 80 per cent of the translation read out by Senator Yayi. I think they have done a fair job, except on some issues they could not understand.
“The beginning of this brouhaha started with this text. Senator Abdu Ningi is purported to be the author of this document. Let me for the avoidance of doubt, I have never issued a statement of this nature to anybody anywhere and anytime.
“I want members of this Senate to record it, this is a fake observation that was forwarded, I do not know the author of this.”
However, before the commencement of the plenary, a mild drama played out at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamileken Adeola, stormed into the chamber and was visibly angry by the development.
Speaking in a high tone, Senator Adeola who represents Ogun West in the National Assembly said: “No closed door, let’s do it open”.
Earlier, Adeola called for a press conference but postponed it stating that the issue would be dealt with on the floor.
He further explained that his initial plan to address the issue of alleged budget padding had been withdrawn to the Senate to tackle the issue through internal legislative mechanisms.
