Tensions ran high in the Senate on Tuesday following explosive revelations made by Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the People’s Democratic Party, representing Cross-River North.
Senator Agom-Jarigbe disclosed during a Senate session that ranking senators had purportedly received a substantial sum of N500 million each.
The revelation unfolded during a discussion on Senator Olamilekan Adeola’s motion regarding a breach of privilege by Senator Ningi.
READ ALSO: Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for Three Months
Senator Abdul Ningi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Population representing Bauchi Central, had alleged in a media interview that the 2024 Budget was padded with N3.7 trillion.
Invoking orders 9, 10, 41, and 51, Senator Adeola presented a motion of privilege to address the issue of national importance raised by Senator Ningi’s interview with BBC Hausa.
In the interview, Senator Ningi claimed that the Senate operates with two distinct budgets, pointing out over N3 trillion in unexplained funds within the 2024 budget.
However, Senator Agom-Jarigbe’s bombshell revelation about the alleged N500 million allocation to ranking senators sparked uproar and chaos among the senators, leading to a tumultuous session.
Senator Agom-Jarigbe exclaimed, “We are going back and forth on this issue and coming up with issues of the budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.
If we want to go into all those issues, all of us are culpable. Some so-called Senior Senators here got N500m each, I am a ranking Senator I didn’t get anything, did I go to the press?”
Following the commotion, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) clarified that the mentioned N500 million allocation was designated for constituency projects, attempting to restore order amidst the tumultuous atmosphere.