The Presidency has refuted allegations of budget padding, dismissing claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central (PDP) regarding the 2024 budget.
Accusations surfaced after Senator Ningi, speaking on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum, accused the executive of implementing a budget exceeding the approved amount. He asserted that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, was executing a budget significantly higher than what was passed by the National Assembly.
However, in a statement released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency clarified that President Tinubu initially presented a N27.5tn budget to the National Assembly on November 29, 2023. This budget breakdown included allocations for recurrent expenditure, debt service, and capital expenditure, contrasting with Ningi’s claims.
The Presidency emphasized the implausibility of the Senate debating and passing a N25tn budget that was never presented, challenging Senator Ningi’s assertions and calling for greater attention to detail before making such allegations.
Furthermore, the Presidency highlighted that the budget signed into law on January 1, 2024, amounted to N28.7tn, as approved by the National Assembly. It clarified that the legislative body exercised its appropriation powers by increasing the executive’s proposed budget by N1.2tn, a decision subsequently signed into law by President Tinubu.
Addressing Senator Ningi’s suggestion that the 2024 budget was biased against the North, the Presidency denounced the claim as unfounded and unbecoming of a leader of his stature.
