Stop Being Jittery, Order Open Investigation Into Allegation Of Budget Padding – PDP Tells Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into the allegations of a N3 trillion padding of the 2024 budget.

The PDP in a statement on Friday issued by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, urged Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop being jittery and avoid sponsoring diversonary press statements to suppress calls for an open investigation into the budget padding allegation.

Naija News recalls lastweek, Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

The matter led to a rowdy session when it was debated by the lawmakers during plenary on Tuesday and Ningi was eventually suspended for three months.

The PDP thereafter asked Godswill Akpabio to resign as the Senate President over the allegations, but the party’s call was rubbished in a statement by the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu.

Not satisfied, the PDP again on Friday called for an open investigation into the budget padding allegation.

The PDP said “It is clear that it is jittery that an open and detailed investigation into the allegation will further expose the perpetrators and how money was allegedly shared among APC lawmakers,” the statement reads.

“It is highly provocative that at this time when Nigerians are passing through severe economic hardship, the APC leadership in the Senate is busy defending and frustrating investigation into allegation of massive manipulation and looting of resources meant for the wellbeing of the citizens.

“The Akpabio-led APC leadership in the Senate ought to know that no amount of threats, harassment, suspension of whistleblowers and attempts to blackmail the opposition through diversionary press statements and sponsored articles in a section of the media can suppress the demand for an open investigation into the alleged budget padding which is already in the public domain.

“More importantly, the failure by the Akpabio-led APC leadership to allow for investigation into the budget padding allegation constitutes a huge smear on the image of the Senate and destroys its rectitude and integrity to perform its Constitutional duty to investigate and oversight other public institutions; a situation that spells doom to our Constitutional democracy if not immediately checked.”

The opposition party told Akpabio to recall Ningi and allow for an open and detailed investigation of the allegation if truly he has nothing to hide.

The PDP statement asked Tinubu to “restore the integrity of the 2024 budget by immediately ordering an open investigation into the alleged insertion as well as a holistic review of the budget.”