Senate recalls Senator Ningi from suspension
The Senate has recalled the suspended Senator Abdul Ningi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bauchi Central who had earlier accused the upper chamber leadership of fraudulently smuggling projects into the 2024 budget.
Penpushing reports that relief came the way of the senator on Tuesday following a sequel to a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, during the plenary at the national assembly in Abuja.
The resolution for his recalled lasted for over an hour during a close-door session, while the motion was also co-sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi, and the Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu.
Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that the senate announced Ningi suspension on March 12, 2024, but he had claimed that he sought the services of a private auditor to review the budget and discovered some projects that do not have locations.
The minority leader while presenting the motion, said the Senate minority caucus takes full responsibility for the offence of Ningi, and thereafter apologised to the Senate leadership on behalf of the suspended colleague.
“Flowing from the above, the Senate minority leadership takes full responsibility for the actions of our colleague Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi and apologises on his behalf,” the minority leader emphasised.
Penpushing also reports that the majority of the senators supported the motion to recall Ningi from suspension through a voice vote, and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin seconded the motion.
The Deputy Senate President urged his colleagues to pardon the Bauchi state senator in order to strengthen brotherhood and unity in the chamber and commended the minority caucus of the Senate for apologising on behalf of Ningi.
“I would like to add, Mr President, that this Senate is the highest assembly in our sovereign land of Nigeria. The Senate is composed of men and women of wisdom. Alexander Pope maintained that to err is human and to forgive is divine’, he added.
‘It is on this note that I want to commend the minority leader and his team and in fact the entire minority caucus and the entire leadership of the minority caucus and the minority caucus itself because I know they must have acted based on the promptness of the members of the caucus for going in between and for making sure they get to where we are now by bringing forward this motion in the way that the resolution of the issue of Ningi suspension is resolved finally. Barau said
“It is something that needs to be commended because they have gone to mediate. They are all even agreeing. They stated in the motion that they are apologising on his behalf. So, I commend you for doing that and I urge the Senate, having apologised on behalf of Senator Ningi, we should accept this apology so as to strengthen our spirit of brotherhood that we are known for’.
“Something has been done and the leadership on its own has come out to apologise on his behalf. So, I urge my colleagues to please accept this apology without debate so that we can move forward. We are all brothers and as I said earlier. Making errors is something that is human and forgiveness is divine. I therefore submit that; I urge all my colleagues to accept this apology.”
Penpushing reports that in his own submission Senator Victor Umeh of the Labour Party (LP), Anambra Central) supported the recall of Ningi, and in response the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the 10th Senate is united adding that the lawmakers are one family.
The Senate President stated that the senators are united irrespective of political affiliation, culture, tribe and religion, describing Ningi as a resourceful lawmaker, while he thanked the minority leadership for the initiative to recall the senator
“Let me thank the minority leadership for this initiative and also note that it was this same Senate that set up a committee for you to mediate and then you were the chairman and then of course, this decision by the minority leaders and the entirety of the minority in the Senate seems to have superseded the area and decision of the Senate’, Akpabio said.
‘ So, I agree with you. He is a very resourceful senator, and one of our own and the Senate is a family irrespective of the political divide, irrespective of the religious divide and irrespective of languages’, he added.
‘This happening today is in tandem with the spirit of what the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, have done by bringing back our own national anthem which simply says that though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand’.
‘The decision of the Senate today is clear evidence that this is one family and though we may come from different constituencies and different states, in brotherhood we stand. I congratulate the Senate for this decision’
‘And I agree that to err is human and to forgive is divine. I, therefore, rule that our distinguished brother, Senator Abdul Ningi is hereby recalled to the Senate to participate in all activities. He is hereby pardoned by the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he is hereby recalled.”
Penpushing further reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmaker as at the time he made the claim, and suspended on March 12, 2024, was the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF).
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