The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, to step down following the budget padding allegations and the subsequent suspension of Senator Ningi.
On Wednesday, a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said Akpabio should step aside to allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that N3.7 trillion was secretly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
The party also demanded that Akpabio should report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending cases of alleged looting of N108 billion under his watch as governor of Akwa Ibom State and the reported N86 billion contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
PDP condemned Ningi’s suspension without a detailed inquiry into the issue of budget padding, which he raised, adding that the APC-led senate wanted to conceal the facts of the allegations.
“The suspension of Senator Ningi is a desperate move to suppress investigation, conceal and sweep the facts under the carpet,” Ologunagba said.
The party queried why the Senate leadership did not refer the issue to the proper committee for investigation, as required by Senate rules.
“The frustration of investigation by the APC senate leadership further confirms PDP’s repeated alert that prominent APC officials in the National Assembly and a top official in the presidency have been using ministers and other government functionaries to siphon budgeted funds from the national coffers.
“We ask, why did the APC Senate leadership not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate standing committee for an open investigation in line with the Senate’s extant rules? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of, and what is it hiding from Nigerians?”
Ologunagba added, “It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate president sat as a judge in the matter, a situation that can bring the Senate’s institution to further public disrepute.
“This is mainly because the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust, which are serious offences under our laws. Nigerians can now see why the APC leadership in the National Assembly, especially in the Senate, continues to condone the unbridled looting of public resources, including funds meant for palliatives for poor and vulnerable citizens.”
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