By Omogbolahan Babawale
Senator Abdul Ningi of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Bauchi Central on Monday denied ever saying President Bola Tinubu was operating two different budgets for 2024. This he said in Abuja barely 24hours after his group, Northern Senators’ Forum (NSF) issued a disclaimer to his purported statement, accusing the Tinubu-led Federal Government of running two different budgets.
BBC Hausa had reported that Ningi made the submission in an interview he granted the British media icon.
It said Ningi spoke under the banner of Northern Senators’ Forum, and claimed that the National Assembly passed N25 trillion as 2024 budget and not the N28.7 trillion that was being implemented by the Federal Government.
While speaking with newsmen on Monday, Ningi said he was thoroughly misrepresented and was startled by the twist of events.
Ningi stated further that he was not representing the Northern Senators’ Forum as reported, but spoke in his personal capacity as a senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District.
“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.
Reacting to Ningi’s interview on Sunday in Abuja, the presidency dismissed his claims as unfortunate, coming 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 explained that on November 29, 2023, President Tinubu presented a budget of N27.5 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly.
The budget was made up of N9.92 trillion recurrent expenditure; debt servicing of N8.25 trillion and capital expenditure of N8.7 trillion.
“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 Jan. 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.