Nigeria, March 17 -- The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) strongly criticized the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi due to his claim of budget padding amounting to N3.7 trillion by the Senate.

The suspension occurred after Senator Ningi made the allegation in an interview. The ACF, a group of leaders from Northern Nigeria, argued that instead of suspending Senator Ningi, the Senate should have allowed an independent investigation into the matter.

The ACF's National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur-Baba, expressed concern that the process leading to Ningi's suspension seemed rushed and focused more on the messenger than the message itself.

The ACF emphasized that the suspension affects the interests of many communities in the region.

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