By Alade Ojikutu
Some members of National Association of Nigerian Students,(NANs) from a section of the North have issued a 48-hour Ultimatum to the National Assembly to recall suspended Senator Abdul Ningi or face massive protests.
The students said they would shut down the complex if their requests were not met.
The students claim they are protecting the interest of Senator Abdul Ningi who was recently suspended for his false 2024 budget claims.
A statement made available to Irohinoodua signed by President, Association of Northern Nigerian Students,(ANNS),
Comrade Sani Adamu
said it stands by the position of the lawmaker from Bauchi North Central.
Ningi was suspended for claiming that the budget is skewed against the North and that the budget was padded with N3trillion.
But the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM) said the Presidency appear to be facing “harassment and intimidation” from primordial ethnic hegemon who are desperate to retake power fowl means and in the process create chaos and instability.
The students condemned the decision of the Senate leadership to suspend Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi saying he was representing Northern interest.
The concept “Northern interests” has often been used to promote the narrow interests of individuals who necessarily do not represent the aspirations of people from the 19 Northern States.
The AYDM Assistant Secretary, Mrs Medinat Ajakaiye told Irohinoodua that for the past six months, the country has continued to witness “landmines deliberately being set to thwart democracy” by those he described as “tribal Talibans” who he said are against the shift of power to the South.
The students, however, said Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi accused the Senate President over budget padding which means N3.7 Trillion remains unaccounted for in the 2024 budget, without specific project.
It said “Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi is a well experience politician, very compassionate in protecting the interest of Nigerians irrespective of religious, tribe, political affiliation or any other status.
It argued that it is ridiculous that the Senate leadership suspended “our entire voice of the Northerners in the s
Senate because we believe in the effective leadership’s of Sen. Abdul Ahmed Ningi towards protecting the interest of the North and the Nation at large.”
The ANNS said “we want to call your attention to remind you incase you have forgotten the duty and responsibility of the Legislatives, of course what Sen. Abdul Ahmed Ningi did is part of his duty as the Legislature are to checkmate the budget, ensure full implementation of the budget, and make laws of the country. therefore we are proud of the leadership of Sen. Abdul Ningi the fact that he proved to his constituents that he knows what he is doing as well he is representing them very good not as other senators that are sleeping in the Senate.”
The students said they would not fold their hands and keep watching what it described as the dictatorship of the Senate Leadership which it said can cause “our representatives to be fear of standing and protecting our legitimate interest that will bring development in our Constituency.”
The students issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Senate leadership to reverse their decision or face a mega protest that would close the National Assembly.