By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions, emerged yesterday as Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum.
Abiru, who represents Lagos East Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), took over from the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who had been the Chairman of the forum since the 9th Assembly.
ThisNigeria learnt that Abiru’s election yesterday might be connected with the alarm raised on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by the former Chairman of the forum, who is now the Leader of the Senate.
Bamidele had alleged that the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Abdul Ningi, who was later suspended for three months, was acting the script of some people who he said were working towards the impeachment of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, before June this year.
The Senate Leader pointed out that the incumbent Senate President, Akpabio, from the South-South, was occupying the position 40 years after a senator from the region last occupied the top seat of the National Assembly.
He further said those who contested with Akpabio in June 2023 were still angry they lost the election.
When the matter came up at plenary on Tuesday following a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola, some northern senators across party lines solicited the understanding of the Senate to forgive Ningi if he apologised to the Red Chamber over his excesses and misinformation.
However, an enraged Bamidele had said, “We must never accept any apology from Senator Ningi.”
The Senate Leader said, “It is ridiculous to do so. He lied deliberately. Mr Senate President, you’re occupying that seat 40 years after a South-South person occupied it.
“The last time a Southerner was there was during Obasanjo, and they were changed every time. It was only stable when it returned to the North. David Mark spent eight years, Saraki completed four years, and Lawan spent four years.
“Don’t be deceived; the June 2023 Senate presidential election losers are still angry. Some have accepted it, but a few haven’t.
“They have plotted to remove you before June 2024. That is why you must not allow Ningi’s deliberate mischief to go away. He did it on purpose.
“He knew he was lying. He set the public against you and will do it again. We must apply our sanction.”
Ningi had made disparaging comments against President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio in the Red Chamber.
He had claimed that the current budget being operated in Nigeria was different from the fiscal document passed by the National Assembly last year.
Ningi also claimed that the N3trn allegedly inserted in the budget being implemented were not tied to any project, nor were the locations of the projects identified.
The Bauchi Central Senatorial District Senator had also alleged in an interview he granted the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the fiscal document was skewed in favour of the North.
*We’re for unity of all parts of the country, not just the South- Abiru
Meanwhile, following his emergence after a meeting of 51 Senators from the South West, South-South, and South East, Abiru said they would partner with the Northern Senators forum to move the country forward.
He said, “This forum, the Southern Senators forum, is to champion the course of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“We have our northern brothers with the Northern Senators Forum. We will work with the Northern Senators forum to move the country forward,” Abiru said.
The Lagos East Senator said they would swing into action and roll out their plans to better the region and Nigeria. We will work our plans,” Abiru said, adding that the last leadership has transferred power to them.
“The last leadership has transferred power to us. We’ve been running the forum as if we don’t exist.
“The present leader of the Senate was the leader of the Southern Senators forum. He was too engaged on other issues, but we now have new leadership, which I head,” Abiru said.
The vice chairman of the forum is Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central); the Secretary is Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South East); the Public Relations Officer (PRO) is Asuquo Ekpenyong (Rivers South), while Kenneth Eze (Ebonyi Central) emerged as the treasurer.
*Bauchi gov, Mohammed backs suspended Senator
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has expressed full support for Senator Ningi, who was suspended for three months.
Ningi had, after the suspension, stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum.
However, the Bauchi State Governor expressed his support for the lawmaker.
Mohammed wrote on his official X account, “In today’s State Executive Council meeting, I made it clear that I stand firm in our support for Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi of Bauchi Central.”
He added, “I emphasised preserving dissent within our political landscape without resorting to punitive actions.
“I am committed to examining Senator Ningi’s situation further. It is common knowledge that Senator Ningi is one of the best-performing senators, whose heritage, uprightness, ancestry, and integrity are worthy of praise.”
