JUST IN: Budget Padding: Drama As Top Tinubu’s Ally Storms Senate, Kicks Against Closed Door Meeting

On Tuesday, a mild drama unfolded in the Red Chamber just before the commencement of the plenary around 11 am, as Senator Olamileken Adeola from Ogun West, who is a top ally of President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, stormed into the chamber visibly agitated, demanding transparency.

In a loud tone, he repeatedly exclaimed, “No closed door, let’s do it open.”

The tension stemmed from Senator Abdul Ningi’s allegations on Monday, implicating the National Assembly in padding the 2024 budget with a staggering sum of N3 trillion. Clarifying his stance at a press conference, Senator Ningi emphasized, “At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing two budgets. There was no time, at no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the north.”

He continued, “The Hausa version is there. At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing the N25tn budget. I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that N25tn so far has nexus in the budget.”

Senator Adeola, who initially planned a press conference on Sunday but postponed it, explained that addressing the issue of alleged budget padding would be tackled internally within the Senate. He clarified, “Since the allegation of budget padding was made by a serving Senator who participated in the consideration and passage of the budget, the best place to react was in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday.”

He further elaborated, “As you people can see, many Senators are here with me across the six geopolitical zones to react to what a senator said at the weekend on alleged two versions of the 2024 budget. After realizing that there are laid down procedures and processes to follow in dealing with such a matter involving an insider, we have decided to shift the venue of reaction to the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, after which journalists would be briefed adequately.”