Ningi’s Suspension: SPEDIN Tackles Akpabio, Senate
POLITICS DIGEST – A nongovernmental organization, Sustainable Peace Empowerment and Development Initiative of Nigeria (SPEDIN), has expressed deep concern over what it described as “unjust suspension of Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi” from Nigerian Senate.
Ningi was earlier this week suspended from the Senate for three months for accusing the leadership of the upper legislative chamber of padding the 2024 budget with over three trillion Naira.
He was then subsequently suspended by the Godswill Akpabio led Senate for what it said is capable of tarnishing its image in the eyes of Nigerians.
But in a fervent appeal to the Senate President on Thursday, SPEDIN Director-General Comrade Idrith Ibrahim Unguwar Gini, said the action lacks legal basis and threatens the democratic principles upon which Nigeria’s governance is built.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, was suspended from his legislative duties after bringing attention to discrepancies in fund allocation, notably highlighting issues surrounding N500 million constituency projects and the insertion of unallocated funds totaling N3.7 trillion in the Budget.
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According to the statement, “His [Ningi’s] actions, aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability, were perceived as a vital component of his constitutional obligations to his constituents.
“The suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi has not only curtailed his freedom of expression but has also left the citizens of Bauchi Central without proper representation in the Senate.
“SPEDIN, alongside concerned citizens, is calling for the immediate revocation of this unjust suspension to uphold the democratic rights of the people.
“Moreover, SPEDIN urges the Senate to address the concerns raised by Senator Abdul Ningi regarding the 2024 Budget in a transparent manner.
“The organization emphasizes the importance of public scrutiny in ensuring accountability and calls for a public apology to the Bauchi Central Electorate for the error in judgment.
Comrade Idrith Ibrahim Unguwar Gini’s open letter serves as a reminder to citizens to remain vigilant and actively monitor the activities of the National Assembly, particularly in matters concerning budgetary allocations.
“It underscores the necessity of transparency and fairness in the allocation of public funds and the accountability of elected officials to the people they serve,” the statement added.
SPEDIN then called for citizens to stand united in demanding accountability and adherence to democratic principles in Nigeria’s governance.
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