Ningi Recants, Says He Never Said President Tinubu Was Against the North, Implemented 2 Budgets

Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdul Ningi, has said he never accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of implementing two budgets or being biassed against the North in his controversial interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

He claimed that his interview, which was in Hausa, was given wrong interpretations in several quarters, particularly by presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga.

Ningi, who spoke with Senate correspondents a few minutes ago, said the position he expressed was that the team of consultants the northern senators engaged to investigate the N28.7 trillion could only identify projects and expenditures tied to the N25 trillion so far.

He added that the balance of N3.7tn could not be tied to any projects.

Ningi also said he never accused the president of marginalising the North, adding that he only faulted Tinubu’s predecessors, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, for not tackling the challenges of the North.

For Tinubu, Ningi said his position was that he was not to blame because northern leaders did not extract any commitment from him on what he would do for the zone while he was campaigning to become president.