The Senate has recalled suspended senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) who was suspended for accusing its leadership of fraudulently smuggling projects into the 2024 budget.
His recall was announced at the Upper Chamber after it resumed from a close-door session which lasted for over one hour.
The resolution to recall the senator was sequel to a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro, during the plenary on Tuesday.
The motion was also co-sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Olalere Oyewunmi, and the Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu.
RovingNaija News recalls that the lawmaker had claimed that he sought the services of a private auditor to review the budget and discovered some projects that do not have locations.
Mr Moro, while presenting the motion, said the Senate minority caucus takes full responsibility for the ‘offence’ of Mr Ningi.
He thereafter apologised to the Senate leadership on behalf of Mr Ningi.
“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 said.
The majority of the senators supported the motion to recall Mr Ningi from suspension through a voice vote.
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who seconded the motion urged his colleagues to pardon the Bauchi senator in order to strengthen brotherhood and unity in the chamber.
Mr Jibrin commended the minority caucus of the Senate for apologising on behalf of Mr Ningi.
“I would like to add, Mr President, that this Senate is the highest assembly in our sovereign land of Nigeria,” Mr Barau said.
“The Senate is composed of men and women of wisdom. Alexander Pope maintained that to err is human and to forgive is divine. 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.
“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.”
Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) also supported that Mr Ningi should be recalled from suspension.
Responding, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the 10th Senate is “united” and that the lawmakers are “one family”.
The Senate President described Mr Ningi as a “resourceful 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.
“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.
“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.”
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