Abdul Ningi and four Senators who have been suspended from the Senate in the last decade

The controversial comment by the suspended Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central has dominated the news cycle over the last week.

Over the weekend, Senator Ningi in an interview on BBC alleged the 2024 budget has been padded by more than three trillion naira. According to Ningi, he detected the irregularities after contracting an auditor to audit the budget presented to the National Assembly.

His unsubstantiated allegation was the focus of plenary on Tuesday, March 12 where he was called to defend his comment.

After a rowdy session that lasted for more than 3 hours on the floor of the chamber, the lawmaker was after a motion on privilege was moved by Solomon Adeola, senator representing Ogun West.

Ningi insisted on his claim, saying he wasn’t afraid of suspension.

Over the past two decades, several senators have been suspended from the upper chamber of the national assembly.

Here is a list of senators who have been axed by the Senate and why

ALI NDUME

The upper legislative chamber suspended Ndume, a senator representing Borno south, for six months for “embarrassing” then Senate President Bukola Saraki and Dino Melaye, a former senator representing Kogi West.

In 2017, Ndeme had asked the senate to investigate his claim that the upper chamber was picking on Hameed Ali, former comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), because of a seized bullet-proof car allegedly owned by Saraki.

The Borno senator also demanded that Melaye be probed for certificate forgery.

Saraki and Melaye were later cleared of the allegations by a senate panel.

JOSEPH WAKU

Benue State lawmaker, Joseph Waku was suspended from the senate in 2000 after a controversial comment about former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Waku criticized the then-president, describing his administration as a dictatorial one. He also said the administration was the worst in Nigeria’s history. His comments resulted in widespread condemnation and subsequent suspension by the Senate.

He died on February 3, 2019.

ARTHUR NZERIBE

The late Nzeribe was suspended indefinitely for his role in an N22 million fraud case. The lawmaker from Imo state was suspended by then-Senate President Pius Anyim.

He died in 2022 at the age of 83.

OVIE OMO-AGEGE

Omo-Agege, a lawmaker from Delta state, was suspended by the senate in 2018 after he kicked against the election reordering bill.

Although the lawmaker later apologized for his stand, he still went to court to get a restraining order against any move by the senate to suspend him.

His action was said to have angered some of his colleagues, who pushed for his suspension.

NINGI

The senate suspended Abdul Ningi, on Tuesday, for three months for alleging that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion. He subsequently resigned as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF).