Jonathan Nwokpor
On Monday in Abuja, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi Central) refuted the claim that President Bola was running two separate budgets for 2024.
According to BBC Hausa, in an interview he gave to the British media giant, Ningi reportedly made the suggestion.
It stated that Ningi, speaking on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum, asserted that the N28.7 trillion budget being carried out by the Federal Government was not the N25 trillion approved by the National Assembly for 2024.
Ningi claimed to have been greatly misled and to have been shocked by the turn of events during a Monday interview with reporters.
Ningi went on to clarify that he was speaking in his capacity and not, as had been reported, on behalf of the Northern Senators Forum.
“With the press release I saw in the media yesterday, I am taken aback.
“At no time did I say Bola Tinubu was implementing two budgets. There was no time. At no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the north.
“At no time did I say Bola Tinubu is implementing a N25 trillion budget. There is no way I will talk about N25 trillion and N28 trillion,” he said.
The presidency responded to Ningi’s interview in Abuja on Sunday by dismissing his comments as regrettable, given that they originated from a high-ranking senator.
“There is no truth whatsoever in the allegation made by Sen. Ningi that President Tinubu is operating two budgets for 2024,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, stated.
He clarified that President Tinubu had given the joint session of the National Assembly a budget of N27.5 trillion on November 29, 2023.
The budget consisted of N9.92 trillion in recurrent expenses, N8.25 trillion for debt service, and N8.7 trillion for capital expenditures.
“Contrary to the strange view expressed by Sen. Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed a N25 Trillion budget that was not presented to the National Assembly.
“We do not expect a ranking senator not to pay due attention to details before making wild claims.
“It is also important to let Nigerians know that the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024, as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7 trillion.
“The National Assembly, in its wisdom, increased the amount proposed by the Executive by N1.2 trillion.
“In the spirit of democracy, which allows give and take, President Tinubu did not withhold his assent to the Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly,” Onanuga added.
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