Connect with us

Politics

Ex APC chair, Akande, Senate squabble over missing budget

Published

on

The controversy that trailed the 2016 proposed budget at the Senate has pit a former interim national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Bisi Akande, against the Senate, as the legislative chamber has hit back at the politician for comments credited to him over the budget issue.

Chief Akande, a former governor of Osun State had expressed disappointment in the leadership of the ‎Senate over the alleged missing 2016 budget, saying it was a fallout of indiscipline that produced the current Senate leadership.

Speaking at his residence in Ila-Orangun during an event organized to mark his 77th birthday, Akande lamented that a document as huge as the Nigeria’s budget could be declared missing in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

But the responded to the statement by saying it was regrettable that a man of Akande’s status would be responding to mere speculation without cross-checking his facts or worse still eager to latch on to any opportunity to bring to disrepute the leadership of the Senate because he failed to get his choice candidates elected.

In a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate urged Akande to check his records properly so that he could see that “at no time did the Senate say the 2016 budget was missing”.

Rather, Abdullahi noted that the legislative house had insisted in several official statements and press interviews by its principal officers that the budget was not missing but that two different versions are now available.

Akande was quoted as saying that “The development is fallout of indiscipline that brought the current leadership of the Senate into the position and as you know, that was not the choice of our party”.

Read also: Senate in dilemma: One Presidency, two budgets

But Abdullahi said that Akande’s statements was another expression of the frustration that the former Governor of Osun State suffers for not being able to impose his lackeys on the Senate as leaders.

“Chief Akande is still sulking after his group’s failed attempt to impose certain individuals as the leaders of the Senate last year. So, he was in a hurry to condemn the leadership. We want him to know that the leadership of the Senate can only emerge through the provisions of the constitution and the standing rules of the institution. As a democrat, Akande should know that once the majority has elected the leadership, all parties to the contest ought to accept the decision.

“To continue belly-aching and working to undermine the institution because of the failure to get one’s choice candidates elected cast doubts on his democratic credentials. It appears he is only a democrat when he has his way. We advise him to move on and let us help the legislative institution to focus on its agenda to serve the people in line with the much needed change that President Muhammadu Buhari promised the nation”, Abdullahi further stated.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now