The Accidental Man of the People

Senator Ningi’s suspension by the Senate after he raised allegations of budget padding has made him a hero in the eyes of Nigerians. But it would be unwise to distance Ningi from the National Assembly establishment, a system he has been part of and helped cultivate since 1999.

It’s difficult to tell what was going through the mind of Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central in the National Assembly, when he entered the red chamber on Tuesday, 12 March 2024. From his cheerful demeanour, as he greeted his colleagues, it was unclear whether he had any inclination of the storm that was brewing as a result of an explosive interview he granted BBC Hausa where he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3 trillion. Ningi had told BBC Hausa: 

…we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for? 

Less than four hours after the Senate sat for the day, Senator Ningi was expelled from the Senate during a heated session. He was also suspended for three months although it was initially proposed he be suspended for a year for bringing the hallowed chamber to disrepute. Shortly after his suspension, Ningi resigned from his position as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum. One unintended consequence of the day’s saga was the overnight garb of heroism and anti-corruption crusader that Nigerians draped over his shoulder...