The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is urging President Bola Tinubu to launch an investigation into the claims of a N3 trillion padding of the 2024 budget.
The PDP, through its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, is calling on Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to refrain from trying to suppress calls for an open investigation by issuing diversionary press statements.
Last week, Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi alleged that the 2024 budget had been padded by N3 trillion, resulting in the country operating two budgets simultaneously.
This led to a chaotic session during a parliamentary debate, resulting in Ningi’s three-month suspension.
Following this, the PDP demanded the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the allegations, but this request was dismissed by Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu.
Unsatisfied, the PDP once again called for a transparent investigation into the budget padding allegations on Friday.
The PDP said, “It is clear that it is jittery that an open and detailed investigation into the allegation will further expose the perpetrators and how money was allegedly shared among APC lawmakers,” the statement reads.
“It is highly provocative that at this time when Nigerians are passing through severe economic hardship, the APC leadership in the Senate is busy defending and frustrating investigation into allegation of massive manipulation and looting of resources meant for the wellbeing of the citizens.
“The Akpabio-led APC leadership in the Senate ought to know that no amount of threats, harassment, suspension of whistleblowers and attempts to blackmail the opposition through diversionary press statements and sponsored articles in a section of the media can suppress the demand for an open investigation into the alleged budget padding which is already in the public domain.
“More importantly, the failure by the Akpabio-led APC leadership to allow for investigation into the budget padding allegation constitutes a huge smear on the image of the Senate and destroys its rectitude and integrity to perform its Constitutional duty to investigate and oversight other public institutions; a situation that spells doom to our Constitutional democracy if not immediately checked.”
The opposition party urged Akpabio to recall Ningi and allow for an open and thorough probe into the allegations if he genuinely has nothing to hide.
The PDP statement asked Tinubu to “restore the integrity of the 2024 budget by immediately ordering an open investigation into the alleged insertion as well as a holistic review of the budget.”
