Ningi’s suspension, Senate decision not Akpabio’s – lawyer answers Falana

Umeh Kalu (SAN), Legal Adviser to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, explained that the decision and resolution to suspend Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) was taken by the Senate in plenary session and not by Akpabio.

Kalu stated this in a letter addressed to human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) titled: “Subject: Request for lifting the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi,” which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ningi was suspended for three months by the Senate on March 12 for allegedly inflating the 2024 budget.

Kalu wrote in the letter: “We are the lawyers of Senator Godswill Akpabio and are writing to you on his behalf regarding the above issue.

“Your letter dated 27 March with the above heading has been forwarded to us with instructions to respond.

“We have carefully read your analysis of the facts and circumstances that led to your client’s suspension from the Senate.

“We cannot find any reason in your judgment to believe that our client is solely responsible for the suspension in question. We therefore plead non est factum for our client.”

The letter continues: “Furthermore, and contrary to the content of your referenced letter, our client was at no time your client’s prosecutor, prosecutor or judge.

“Our client’s role in the Senate session that resulted in your client’s suspension was and remains the statutory role of a presiding officer of a House legislative body.

“This role also includes announcing the majority decision of the legislative House at the end of the debate and vote.

“Allow us to mention your attempt to draw our client’s attention to the legal authorities and the statements of our courts,
the unconstitutionality of the suspension of members of the legislative chambers.

“We dare say that this attempt was not helpful since you have not provided, or have provided insufficiently, the relevant details of the said court decisions in your letter.

“You may wish to set out the legal principles you have mentioned, keeping in mind that any decision made by a court will be based on the particular facts, circumstances and applicable law of that court.

“To the extent that it is not necessary to discuss here all the remedies available to our client in response to your threat of litigation and
Petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) …

“It is important to note that legislative procedures are guided by rules.

“We urge you to give due consideration to the legal issues raised in this letter and to use them as a guide in your further and future actions in this matter.”