Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, has stated that he has never received N500 million as a ranking senator.
His position follows a claim by Agom Jarigbe, a senator representing Cross River North, who stated on Tuesday on the floor of the National Assembly's upper house, that ranking senators received N500 million each but he did not.
Jarigbe made the revelation during plenary while responding to an allegation of budget padding levelled against the Senate by the now-suspended senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi.
Senators who have served more than one four-year term in the upper chamber are considered ranking members.
Ningi recently informed BBC Hausa that the lawmakers hired a private auditor, who revealed budget irregularities.
Speaking on a monitored programme, Abaribe, the former deputy governor of Abia State, stated that he never received any N500 million, while not disputing the claim that several ranking senators did.
Abaribe, the former Senate Minority Leader, stated that he may not have received money since he is a member of the Senate's minority of minority parties.
''What Senator Jarigbe meant to say is that some people enjoy certain privileges and there are privileges that come to offices.''
“Such money is always a constituency project money and not for individuals. Since that has been trending in social media, I have been getting calls from people that ‘Oh so you get this kind of money and I have been calling you for money but you say you don’t have.” Abaribe said.
