Northern Senators Forum (NSF) lawmakers have distanced themselves from Senator Abdul Ningi’s recent remarks concerning the 2024 budget.

Ningi, representing Bauchi Central (PDP), claimed in an interview that the executive was executing a budget not approved by the National Assembly. He stated that the National Assembly had passed a ₦25tn budget, contrary to the ₦28.7tn being implemented.

However, the presidency rebutted Ningi's assertions, stating that the purported ₦25tn budget was never presented to the Senate. This stance was reinforced when members of the Northern Senators Forum, led by Ningi, disassociated themselves from his claims against the presidency and the National Assembly on March 11, 2024.

In a statement, the NSF clarified that Ningi's remarks were his personal opinion and should not be construed as the stance of the Forum. They affirmed that the President presented a budget of ₦27.5 trillion, which was adjusted by the National Assembly to ₦28.7 trillion to cater to critical projects and services. The forum emphasized that there was no budget padding in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, responding to the controversy, refuted allegations that he accused President Bola Tinubu of implementing a different budget. He clarified that his statements were misconstrued, emphasizing that he never mentioned ₦25 trillion or ₦28 trillion budgets. Additionally, he denied accusing Tinubu of bias against the north.

Overall, the Northern Senators Forum seeks to distance itself from Ningi's remarks, maintaining that the 2024 budget was duly passed and implemented without discrepancies.