Former Kaduna senator, Shehu Sani, has disclosed that he narrowly avoided a six-month suspension from the Senate in 2018 after revealing the salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers.
Sani shared the details in a post on X on Thursday, attributing his escape from suspension to the intervention of then-Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
“When I publicly disclosed the salaries and allowances of the senators, it nearly earned me a six-month suspension if not for divine intervention, Saraki and Ekweremadu’s immediate rescue,” Sani wrote.
In March 2018, Sani made public the figures that senators received, which included a monthly running cost of N13.5 million, in addition to N200 million allocated for constituency projects.
His disclosure sparked backlash from his colleagues, as the salaries of lawmakers are usually kept confidential.
Sani’s remarks come amidst recent developments in the Senate, including the suspension of Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for six months.
The suspension, which was based on a report from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, followed an altercation between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20.
On February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed in an interview with Arise TV that her troubles in the Senate began after she rejected alleged sexual advances from Akpabio.
