TheCable

A group known as the leadership of the United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UND) has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Mahmoud Yakubu, chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to tender their resignations. 

UND said while Akpabio should resign over the alleged padding of the budget by N3 trillion, Yakubu should resign over alleged irregularities during the 2023 general election.

At the weekend, Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central and chair of the Northern Senators Forum, said “huge damage” has been done to the north and the entire country through the budget.

The national assembly had passed a budget of N28.7 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year.

President Bola Tinubu had proposed N27.5 trillion, but the lawmakers jerked it up by N1.2 trillion.

In a statement on Monday, Yusuf Adeyinka and Johnson Acheme, UND’s president and secretary, commended Ningi for “exposing” the alleged padding.

“For emphasis, this global body, while commending some of the Northern Senators like Senator Ningi for their courage to speak up on the alleged padding of N3 trillion Naira into the initially approved N25 trillion Naira by the President, gives the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio only 48 hours to honourably resign his position and face immediate prosecution,” the statement reads.

“Should he fail to heed, we encourage members of the National Assembly to immediately commence a process of his impeachment.”

They said countries such as the US and UK should impose visa ban on Nigerian officials found culpable during the elections.