The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may take disciplinary measures against the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmunini Jibrin, if he continues to lay claims that the 2016 budget was padded by the Yakubu Dogara-led leadership of the lower legislative chamber.
Investigations by The Guardian revealed that Jibrin was actually threatened with expulsion from the party when he met members of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party on Wednesday..
Jibrin, who was said to have been taken aback over the threat, literally wept as he accused the NEC members of sabotaging the on-going anti-graft campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The party’s posture became apparent yesterday as Jibrin was ordered to desist from going public with his barrage of allegations on the ongoing budget imbroglio.
In a letter yesterday addressed to Jibrin and signed by the APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, the party ordered the lawmaker representing Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State to henceforth avoid issuing public statement and making further comments on the budget issue.
The letter reads in part: “As you are aware, the party and indeed the government have not been happy over recent developments in the House of Representatives over the issue of the 2016 budget. We found it embarrassing to have to deal with another new phenomenon you tagged ‘budget padding’.
“However, I write to thank you for your cooperation in honouring our intervention and your readiness to afford the party the chance to handle the House of Representatives budget padding crisis.
“Arising from the series of meetings we held with you over the subject matter, the National Working Committee had decided to request you to henceforth avoid issuing public statement on this matter. This however includes statements through the social media or other means of transmitting an opinion on the matter to the public, as the party is now looking into it towards finding possible solution.”
Jibrin had accused the Speaker, Dogara, his deputy, Sulaimon Yusuff Lasun, the Chief Whip, Ado Doguwa and the House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor of allegedly involved in the padding of the 2016 budget.
