12 Things To Know About Ningi Suspended For Budget Padding Claim

The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, suspended the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central in the National Assembly, Abdul Ningi, for three months.

Senate Ningi was suspended after about three hours of debate over his interview in which he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded with N3.7 trillion.

Ningi had, in the interview on Saturday, alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.

After a backlash, Ningi, at a press conference on Monday, recanted some of his words but insisted that N3tn was left unaccounted for in the 2024 budget.

Below are quick twelve facts to know about Senator Ningi.

1. Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi was born in Bauchi, Nigeria on 20 April 1960 (age 63).

2. He attended Ningi East Primary School (1969–1973).

3. Ningi went to Government Secondary School, Misau, in 1978.

4. He enrolled at the Bauchi College of Art and Sciences for a 2-year pre-degree program.

5. He earned his B.Sc. in Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University in 1983, becoming the first in his family to attend university.

6. Abdul Ningi and his wife were married in 1982, and live in Ningi, Bauchi. They have five children.

7. In 1996, Abdul Ningi contested for the Bauchi State assembly under the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) and won, but the Abacha-led government cancelled the election.

8. In 2007, Ningi was elected into the Senate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and was later removed by the tribunal.

9. In 2008, the appeal court reinstated Abdul Ningi as the rightful winner of the April 2007 Senatorial election.

10. He served as the Chairman Senate Ad-hoc committee on the Niger Delta crisis, where his input helped in developing the Amnesty program that resolved the Niger Delta militancy.

11. On 12th March, 2024, the Senate suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of N3.7 trillion padding of the 2024 budget.

12. A few hours after his suspension, Senator Abdul Ningi resigned as the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum.