By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has replied to a letter sent to him by Counsel to Senator Abdul Ningi, Femi Falana (SAN), demanding that his suspension be lifted.
Recall that Ningi was handed a three-month suspension by the Senate for granting an interview to BBC Hausa Service in which he alleged that N3.7 trillion was padded in the budget for the 2024 fiscal year without link to any project or location.
But two weeks after his suspension, Ningi in a letter addressed to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio through his counsel, Falana, blamed the Senate president for his suspension and issued a 7-day ultimatum for Akpabio to lift his suspension or face legal action.
However, Akpabio, through his counsel, Umeh Kalu (SAN), in a letter of reply on Thursday, faulted Falana’s claim that he was solely responsible for Ningi’s suspension.
The Senate president wondered why the decision of the Senate to suspend one of its members would be termed a “unilateral decision.”
Kalu’s letter of reply on behalf of Akpabio to Falana titled, “Re: Request to lift the suspension of Sen. Abdul Ningi” was made available to reporters in Abuja on Thursday.