Ahmed Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central in the Senate, has written to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, demanding that his suspension be lifted.
Ningi, who wrote Akpabio via his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), stated that if his suspension were not lifted within the subsequent seven days, he would drag the Senate earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket.
On March 12, the Senate despatched Ningi on three-month suspension over his declaration that the 2024 finances were padded to N3.7tn.
In a media interview, Ningi claimed that whereas the finances handed by the Nationwide Meeting for the 2024 fiscal 12 months were N25tn, the one executed by the Presidency was N28.7tn.
Nonetheless, on the plenary on March 12, the Senate took the Bauchi senator on to defend the allegation, on the finish of which he was slammed with a three-month suspension for damaging the picture of the Purple Chamber over what senators determined was an unfounded allegation.
Following the pronouncement of the suspension, Ningi packed his issues and walked out of the Purple Chambers, waving to his colleagues.
Subsequently, he stepped down from his position as the Northern Senators’ Discussion Board Chairman, which was changed by All Progressives Congress Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, who represented Katsina Central.
Nonetheless, two weeks after his suspension, Ningi, via his lawyer, Falana, contended that the method of his suspension was defective.
On Wednesday, his letter to the Senate President was acquired at the Senate President’s workplace.
Within the letter, Falana wrote: “On March 9, 2024, our consumer granted an interview to the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 Appropriation Act. He expressed his views on the finances of the Federal Authorities within the train of his basic proper to freedom of speech assured by Part 39 of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Constitution on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“Dissatisfied with the interview, you precipitated our consumer to be placed on trial earlier than the Senate on March 14, 2024, opposite to the provisions of the Legislative Homes (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018.”
Falana, in the letter, mentioned that the Senate President acted because the accuser, prosecutor, and choose within the case, saying this was an utter violation of the provisions of Part 36 of the 1999 Structure.”
Falana argued that the Senate violated Ningi’s basic right to a good hearing and the rights of the individuals of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District to be represented within the Senate for three months.
The SAN mentioned that “it is a breach of Part 111 of the Structure and Article 13 of the African Constitution on Human and Peoples Rights Act.”
“As you’re no doubt aware, the Federal Excessive Court docket struck down the suspension of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who had accused the management of each house of financial padding, corruption, or workplace abuse.
“Particularly, the court docket declared the suspension of the affected legislators unlawful and unconstitutional.
“As a senior lawyer, you (Akpabio) must have drawn the attention of the Senate members to those selections and several others in which the excessive courts of some states and the Court docket of Attraction have held that no parliament in Nigeria can droop or expel a legislator and confiscate his salaries and allowances.
“Given the foregoing, you’ll agree with us that the suspension of Senator Ningi and the denial of his entitlements are unlawful and unconstitutional in each material explicit.
“We’re compelled to request that you make sure the mentioned suspension is lifted immediately.
“Nonetheless, if you fail to accede to our request seven days after receiving this letter, we will not hesitate to petition the Federal Excessive Court docket for the reinstatement of our consumer. We will equally report you to the Authorized Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for treating the judgments of the Federal Excessive Court docket and the Court docket of Attraction with disdain.”
