Those Who Allege Budget Padding Didn't Understand The Arithmetic — President Tinubu To The Senate

Those who asserted that the budget was padded were mathematically ignorant say President Tinubu

According to President Bola Tinubu, MPs who claimed that the 2024 budget was inflated were ignorant of the appropriations act's mathematical formula.

On Thursday evening, Tinubu delivered a speech at the presidential mansion during an iftar event attended by senators.

Muslims break their daily Ramadan fast with iftar, a meal they eat after sundown.

The planned budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which Tinubu presented to the national legislature on November 29, was N27 trillion.

The appropriations bill was passed by the national assembly on December 30, with Tinubu's original N27.5 trillion proposal being increased to N28.7 trillion.

The Claim Of Budget Padding

Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, sparked controversy earlier this month when he claimed that the nation is running two budgets simultaneously and that the 2024 budget was bloated by N3 trillion.

The claims prompted a “committee of the whole discussion in the senate.

The senator was then placed on administrative leave for three months without pay for his claimed lack of supporting documentation.

The president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, stated that the accusation will cause many Nigerians to lose faith in the upper house of parliament.

“Nigerians are bashing the senate. Many Nigerians will never in future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been totally damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech,” Akpabio told Ningi.

Speaking to the lawmakers about the allegations of budget padding, Tinubu asserted that the Senate's integrity remains unaltered.

The president said, “I know the arithmetic of the numbers that I brought to the senate and I know what I got back.

“And I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking of malicious embellishment in the budget didn't understand the arithmetic and they didn't refer to the numbers... the baseline of what I brought.

“I know the arithmetic of the numbers that I brought to the senate and I know what I got back,” the president added.

“And I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking of malicious embellishment in the budget didn't understand the arithmetic and they didn't refer to the numbers... the baseline of what I brought.

“All of your integrity is intact. I am very grateful for what you have been doing.”