At the event earlier in the week, the lawmakers stood up as a symbol of respect, but the band was heard playing Tinubu’s campaign song from when he was a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, on Friday defended the rendition of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign tune at the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly during the presentation of the 2024 budget.
At the event earlier in the week, the lawmakers stood up as a symbol of respect, but the band was heard playing Tinubu’s campaign song from when he was a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the lawmakers have come under criticism, Ndume who represents Borno South, feels there is nothing wrong with the action. He argued that under the era of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the ‘Sai Baba’ mantra was also recited by the lawmakers.
“It is not a crime. Honestly, it is not a big deal. In this country, we pick on trivial things,” he said on Channels Television’s programme.
“When a President walks in, there are times that some members take advantage of that situation to even challenge the President directly.
“When Buhari came some time back, this same thing was done – ‘Sai Baba’ (was chanted). So why should Tinubu’s case be a big deal?”
During the show, the Borno lawmaker also spoke on the administration of former President Buhari.
He claimed that, unlike Tinubu, Buhari was not in charge of his government.
“The President here is in charge. He takes charge, unlike our former President. That President will just give you an assignment, he will not look over you,” he said.
“That is where the problem is and he (Buhari) knows that. That was the mistake President Buhari made. He ended up confessing these days that he had more kleptocrats in his government that people that had more interest at heart.”
SaharaReporters reported earlier that Yusuf Galambi, a lawmaker representing the Gwaram federal constituency of Jigawa in the House of Representatives, accused the president of presenting a budget without details before the National Assembly.
Recall that President Tinubu presented the 2024 appropriation bill of N27 trillion before the joint sitting of the National Assembly, explaining that his budget would cement macroeconomic stability, reduce the deficit, and increase capital spending and allocation to reflect the eight priority areas of his administration.
However, in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, Galambi, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said the president presented the budget without details after addressing lawmakers.
He claimed that the document Tinubu presented did not include a breakdown of what each government agency and organisation would receive.
“The president read his speech to us on the 2024 budget. But regarding the document of the budget, we did not see it,” Galambi said.