By Seyi Babalola
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio to step aside and enable an independent investigation into the accusation of N3.7 trillion in unaccounted projects in the 2024 budget.
The PDP chastised Akpabio for suspending Ningi without conducting a full inquiry into the accusation of budget padding.
Abdul Ningi, a Bauchi Central Senator, said that the budget for 2024 was bloated by N3.7 trillion.
Ningi’s allegations resulted in his three-month suspension after the Senate deliberated on the topic.
Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, responded by expressing his support for the suspended senator.
Ologunagba said, “The Peoples Democratic Party demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
“We ask, why did the APC leadership in the Senate not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of and what is it hiding from Nigerians?”
“It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate President sat as a judge in the matter; a situation that has the capacity to bring the institution of the Senate to further public disrepute.
“This is especially true as the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust which are serious offenses under our laws.
“This apparent inclination towards covering up sleaze in the polity is already pitching the institution of the Senate against Nigerians who are demanding answers on the matter. Of course, the widely condemned suspension of Senator Ningi does not provide answers to the budget padding allegation.
“It is indeed unfortunate and a huge smear on the image of the Senate, as the highest lawmaking and probity Institution in the country, that its Presiding Officer has found himself in a quagmire of alleged sleaze and betrayal of public trust.
“Our party therefore stands with Senator Ningi for his courage in seeking probity and accountability in the polity,” he stated.