Ningi also said since he made the claims, his colleagues have not asked him to provide evidence to back up his allegations
By Kehinde Okeowo
Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, has claimed his colleagues in the Senate are trying to silence or get him arrested for exposing the alleged padding in the 2024 appropriation budget.
The upper chamber of the federal legislative arm recently suspended Ningi for three months after claiming that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget were untraceable.
But appearing on Arise Tv on Wednesday, Ningi argued that his colleagues were bent on silencing him rather than demand for evidence to back up his claims.
He went on to say he has already opened a can of worms that has now spiraled out of control.
ALSO READ: Ndume confirms Senator Agom-Jarigbe’s claim, says, ‘I got more than others’ from 2024 Budget
Speaking during the interview, Ningi said: “That is why I said I know this parliament very well, I have come a long way. And that is why we are speaking. Let’s speak.
“Have they ever asked me since the beginning of this so-called crisis, where are your findings? Where are the documents? I’m not using my head to come up with figures.
“Nobody has talked to me about evidence. Nobody has suggested even listening to me. All they are trying to do is to ensure that ‘how do we make sure that Ningi is silenced or arrested so that he doesn’t do anything?’
“I have opened this can of worms. Neither they nor I will be able to control it.”
Meanwhile, Senate Chief Whip and senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume has corroborated allegation levelled by his counterpart from Cross River North, Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.
According to him, as a principal officer in the 10th National Assembly, he received more than the N200m allocation, which is the amount given to some of his colleagues for constituency projects in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
Ndume made this known on Wednesday, while featuring on Channels Television’s programme ‘Politics Today’
Agom-Jarigbe had on Tuesday, during a stormy session in the Senate revealed that some senators got more allocations than the others from the 2024 Budget for constituency projects.
