The lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Abdul Ningi, has denied saying the 2024 budget was padded.
Recall that Senator Abdul Ningi, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.
The Bauchi Central Senator also claimed that the 2024 budget passed is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.
However, at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the lawmaker said he never said the president was running two budgets but that N3.7tn had yet to be accounted for.
Also, speaking during the Senate open session in Abuja on Tuesday, Ningi described comments attributed to him as fake.
He said, “I have never said somebody was blinded. Secondly, I have never said the budget was padded.
“Let me concur to about 80 per cent of the translation read out by Senator Yayi. I think they have done a fair job, except on some issues they could not understand.
“The beginning of this brouhaha started with this text. Senator Abdu Ningi is purported to be the author of this document. Let me for the avoidance of doubt, I have never issued a statement of this nature to anybody anywhere and anytime.
“I want members of this Senate to record it, this is a fake observation that was forwarded, I do not know the author of this.”
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