Reacting to ACF’s claims, AIDPD Spokesperson, Tasiu Haruna, said, "In the last two weeks, we have followed the allegation by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central on the 2024 budget and the uproar trailing it.
A northern group, the Arewa Initiative for the Defence and Promotion of Democracy (AIDPD), has stated that the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) failed to invite more witnesses over the allegation made by the erstwhile chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Senator Abdul Ningi, over the budget padding controversy.
The group in a release on Monday said the ACF should have got across to five key personalities in the budget process who are the "Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, his House of Representatives counterpart, and the vice chairmen of the appropriation committees of both chambers."
The northern group said, "The minister, the chairman of the House committee, and the vice chairman of the Senate committee are from the North, while the South has the chairman of the Senate and the vice chairman of the House.
"We expect the ACF to invite the three northerners to speak on the matter before jumping to a conclusion."
The ACF had condemned the Senate's suspension of Senator Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) over his allegations aired on the BBC Hausa Service that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3.7trillion.
During its plenary on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the Senate had investigated Ningi's allegation.
Reacting to ACF’s claims, AIDPD Spokesperson, Tasiu Haruna, said, "In the last two weeks, we have followed the allegation by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central on the 2024 budget and the uproar trailing it.
“As Nigerians and Northern leaders, we were miffed and worried over the allegation that the budget was padded and skewed in favour of the Southern part of the country to the tune of N3.7trillion.
“However, we were shocked and disappointed when the spokesman of the ACF, Prof. Tukur Baba, issued a press statement on the matter. Unfortunately, the forum condescended low to allow itself to be used for a partisan agenda.
“The five key personalities in the budget process are the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, his House of Representatives counterpart, and the vice chairmen of the appropriation committees of both chambers.
“The minister, the chairman of the House committee, and the vice chairman of the Senate committee are from the North, while the South has the chairman of the Senate and the vice chairman of the House. We expect the ACF to invite the three northerners to speak on the matter before jumping to a conclusion."
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