The Nigerian Senate has lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its demand that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio should resign his position over the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding.
For those who don’t know, PDP’s demand is coming on the backdrop of the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, a member of the party, representing Bauchi Central who had in an interview alleged that the sum of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget could not be traced to projects.
However, reacting to the demand by the opposition party, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said; “The PDP has elevated chicanery to statecraft and fatally failed in their sordid attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting public on the ineffectual but spurious allegations of budget padding.”
“The party’s ludicrous call for the resignation of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President is unthinkable and shows the party as a massaging balm for falsehood and immoral legislative outbursts.”
“Akpabio will not resign and has no intention to resign at any time because he has not committed any wrongdoing to warrant resignation.”
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba had said; “The Peoples Democratic Party demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.”
“We ask, why did the APC leadership in the Senate not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of and what is it hiding from Nigerians?”
“It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate President sat as a judge in the matter; a situation that has the capacity to bring the institution of the Senate to further public disrepute.”
“This is especially true as the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust which are serious offenses under our laws.”
“This apparent inclination towards covering up sleaze in the polity is already pitching the institution of the Senate against Nigerians who are demanding answers on the matter. Of course, the widely condemned suspension of Senator Ningi does not provide answers to the budget padding allegation.”
“It is indeed unfortunate and a huge smear on the image of the Senate, as the highest lawmaking and probity Institution in the country, that its Presiding Officer has found himself in a quagmire of alleged sleaze and betrayal of public trust.”
“Our party therefore stands with Senator Ningi for his courage in seeking probity and accountability in the polity.”
