Nigeria’s Democracy In Crisis, Arewa Group Fumes Over Senator Ningi’s Suspension

The Arewa Movement for Good Governance (AM2G), a northern group, says the current leadership style of the national assembly is seriously threatening Nigeria’s democracy.

The group stated this while reacting to Senator Abdul Ningi‘s suspension by the lawmakers.

Naija News reports that Senator Ningi was suspended by the Senate for three months after he accused fellow lawmakers of padding the 2024 budget, which caused discontent among many members of the upper lawmaking body.

Ningi’s suspension has raised concerns among Nigerians, and AM2G also believes that the decision is a negative sign for the country’s democracy.

Addressing journalists in Kaduna today, the convener of AM2G, Usman Bugaje, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Senate’s handling of Ningi’s case, stating that it reflects poorly on the nation.

Bugaje further asserts that the current events surrounding the suspension indicate that democracy in Nigeria is not functioning as expected.

He said: “Distinguished members of the press, it is very evident that our democracy is in crisis. Our democracy is not delivering development and with the kind of National Assembly that we have today, and we can see why.”

He added: “Our democracy is impoverishing the citizens; more citizens are daily falling below the poverty line, and many are trapped in multi-dimensional poverty. Our democracy is not creating hope on the horizon for the teaming youth who cannot even go to school and those who managed to go through school cannot find jobs.

“Our democracy is losing its meaning, value, and lustre. It is stripping us of our dignity, honour, and humanity. There is an urgent need to restore our confidence in democracy before we lose our senses. Once we lose our senses, that will be the end of anything sensible.”

The group is calling among others for the freezing of all “funds that are suspect until a thorough investigation is done” over the claims.