Sophia Michaels
Shehu Sani
Former Kaduna lawmaker, Sen Shehu Sani has reacted to the suspension of Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi from the Senate.
It was earlier reported that Ningi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was suspended during Tuesday’s plenary over allegations of padding the 2024 budget by the Senate.
The lawmakers’ decision to suspend him followed discussions regarding the Bauchi lawmaker’s accusation that around N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget was not allocated to any specific projects.
In response, Sani, in a post on his official X handle, mentioned that the suspended lawmaker would be deprived of access to his office and would not receive any form of remuneration until the suspension is lifted.
The former lawmaker lamented that such a severe punishment had kept even lawmakers from the opposition parties silent on important issues.
The post reads; “Suspension in the Senate means a Senator will not be allowed to attend the plenary and will be prohibited from attending committee meetings and participating in oversight functions. His Salary, allowances and all entitlements will be blocked.
“He will not have access to his office and he is expected not to be seen within the premises of the National Assembly until the Suspension is lifted.
“When I publicly disclosed the salaries and running costs of lawmakers, it was the then-Senate president who saved me from suspension. If you talk too much, your body go tell you, that is why even opposition no fit oppose too much”.
Despite constitutional equality, Sani emphasized the unequal treatment among Senators within the Senate, noting that some hold more power than others, with expectations for all Senators to comply.
“Constitutionally, all Senators are equal. But in the Senate, all Senators are not equal; Some are more equal than others. All Senators knows this and every Senator is expected to obey. And the law is ‘no be everything eye see mouth fit talk am,‘” Sani added.
