Budget padding scandal: PDP attacks Buhari, drops bombshell

– PDP asks Buhari to explain to Nigerians why budget padding was not quickly corrected

– The opposition party says lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin himself is not corruption-free

– PDP says budget padding should be quickly resolved so Nigeria can move on

The main opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has questioned President Muhammadu Buhari on how he allegedly allowed the budget padding scandal currently rocking the House of Representatives to get out of hand.

The party, in a statement released on Monday, August 1, said it was astonished by the fact that the scandal is still being discussed when other issues concerning economic matters should be the concern.

READ ALSO: I will continue to speak out until Dogara is removed – Jibrin

The statement read: “We watched the interview granted by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin to @ChannelsTv & have followed his “revelations” with growing concern & bemusement. His revelations raise more questions than they give answers.”

PDP then fired questions at the president, asking why the president did not tackle the budget padding issues if he was aware of it.

“Was Mr. President aware of that the budget he presented to NASS was “padded” by his ministers & presidential aides as Hon. Jibrin alleged in his interviews? How did the Presidency miss these “insertions” at NASS despite engaging in a clean-up? Or did the Presidency allow them remain?”

The party also had questions for Jibrin, who it wondered why he did not speak up until his removal as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

“Why is Hon. Jibrin only just speaking after being relieved of his post as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee? Would he have spoken up if he had not been relieved?”

READ ALSO: Group calls for EFCC to investigate Dogara

The party lamented that the budget is yet to take effect on Nigerians so it is time to move on.

“It is very depressing that as at today 01/08/2016 we are still debating the integrity of #Budget2016 & not the percentages of performance.”

PRESS STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/Ppwt8FaC9L

— PDP Nigeria (@PdpNigeria) August 1, 2016

Two weeks ago, Jibrin had accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, Chief Whip Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor of asking him to allocate to them N40 billion of the N100 billion allocation for members’ constituency projects.

Days after, Vanguard obtained documents to show that the legislators padded the 2016 budget to the tune of N481 billion.

The documents also showed that apart from padding the budget with the huge sum, forcing the presidency to raise alarm over it, NASS also individually jerked the votes meant for constituency projects from N60 billion to N100 billion.

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