The Labour Party (LP) has applauded Senator Abdul Ningi for speaking out against alleged N3 trillion padding in the 2024 budget.
The party also urged more senators to speak out, even as it stated that LP senators in the 10th National Assembly are in solidarity with Ningi, a Peoples Democratic Party senator.
Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, the LP National Youth Leader, revealed this during a youth-led solidarity visit to the Party Secretariat in Abuja on Friday.
Senator Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central in the Senate, was suspended for three months on Tuesday over his allegation that the 2024 budget was padded by over N3 trillion.
Addressing the youths, Ahanotu said: “Many Senators besides Labour Party Senators backed the suspended Lawmaker for his courage.
“Even members of the Labour Party are happy with that kind of presentation he made. And you know, in the National Assembly, it is not about the person who spoke out.
“There are a lot of people that supported him, but he was the one that the floor was given before he spoke.
But I can assure you that many senators, including Labour Party senators, are solidly behind him because he is trying to unravel the ills of the National Assembly.
“I think as a national leader, personally as a person, I congratulate Senator Ningi for speaking out because we can not continue like this in Nigeria.
“Some days, some times, people need to speak out. And he’s speaking out, personally me, and on behalf of Nigerian youth, we are applauding, we are congratulating, we are thanking, and we are urging more senators and more House of Representatives to speak out.
“We should not be talking about a bad budget. We should not be talking about doctoring the budget. Why are we doctoring the budget when our intention is to save the citizens of Nigeria, is to serve the citizens of Nigeria and to deliver good dividends to them? So why are we padding?
“I think the budget padding as a matter of fact is for personal enrichment.”
