A large number of the who is who in the Nigerian socio-political and economic strata had stormed the City of Dubai in the UAE for the society wedding of the son of oil mogul, Chief Jide Omokore, Tosin and his heartthrob, Faisal, daughter of Ambassador Azeez Musa.
There were no fewer than 20 senators on hand, including Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Smart Adeyemi, Senators Magareth Okadigbo, Zainab Kure, Gbenga Ashafa, Olugbenga Onaolapo Obadara, Boluwaji Kunlere, Anthony Adeniyi, Clever Ikisikpo, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Esther Nenadi Usman, Olubunmi Adetunmbi and a former member of the upper chamber, Senator Joseph Akaagerger.
Besides the heavy Senate representation, the crème de la crème of Lagos was also represented. The Asiwaju of Lagos, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu; a number of red cap chiefs, a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake; and a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai were also at the wedding.
Governors in attendance included the Akwa-Ibom State helmsman, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his wife; Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada; a former Military Administrator of Oyo State, General David Jemibewon, former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Alli; former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris; Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Segun Aganga, among many others.
Something no one was prepared for, however, happened at the hall. As guests were getting seated, the lot fell on the Chairman of Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator Smart Adeyemi, to welcome the dignitaries on behalf of the groom’s family. The Senator, a broadcaster, went on and on reeling out the long list of the high and mighty.
A drama was to play out between Senator Adeyemi and Senator Tinubu. Adeyemi, who since he left behind his camera and microphone, has imbibed the art of politicking just like the veterans, took Tinubu by surprise.
He started by recognising Tinubu as the landlord of Chief Jide Omokore in Lagos. He said Tinubu had shown himself as a good landlord at that and that he was proud of Tinubu’s political prowess. He stated that looking at Tinubu’s attainments so far, he should not be seen as Asiwaju of Lagos, but Asiwaju of the entire kaaro o ojiire (Yorubaland). Tinubu was elated, seeing a key opposition politician eulogise him to high heavens.
Sources at the gathering told Sunday Tribune that the former Lagos governor never knew he was in for a shocker from Adeyemi who after reeling out the ACN leader’s pedigree, put the question forward. Why would Tinubu be deploying his democratic credentials in service of undemocratic elements? The hall went into deep silence, but it was not a question and answer session. So, Tinubu could not offer a response. Many of the guests who had offered ceaseless claps as Senator Adeyemi reeled out Tinubu’s credentials were also shocked at the twist.
According to the Kogi senator, Tinubu should be seen as leading the charge towards democratisation of the country, rather than promoting those who have truncated democratic growth of the nation in the past.
Senator Adeyemi said that Since Tinubu should be seen as Asiwaju of the Yoruba race, he was inherently a democrat because the Yoruba were democrats. He added: As democrats, you cannot be seen to be aligned with a dictator.
Senator Adeyemi had said: “I admire Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is the landlord of the groom’s father in Lagos. A good landlord he is and he has honoured his tenant here today. I looked at his accomplishments in politics and his political antecedents and I say that this man should not just be Asiwaju of Lagos but Asiwaju of the entire Kaaro o ojiire.
“Senator Tinubu sir, I am, however, shocked that someone of your pedigrees will be devoting his political acumen for the service of a non democrat. Someone who had truncated democracy in the past….”
“I want to assure you, Asiwaju, that there is a president in Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, who has fought more battles than any other Nigerian leader in the name of terrorism.
“In 2012, the budget for security was N900 billion; that money is enough to dualise all major roads in Nigeria. It is enough to equip our universities. If that money had entered some African countries, it would cripple the economy, but it was committed to security because of terrorism.
“Goodluck Jonathan can be likened to a pilot who took off and suddenly entered into turbulence. With patience and perseverance, he weathered the storm. Today, he has reached the cruising level and he is cruising towards 2015. I believe you should be with this president as a democrat and not with a dictator.”
The hall initially went into pin-drop silence, but then erupted in huge ovations for the Kogi senator. Tinubu felt the shocking twist to the senator’s prolonged eulogy. But it was not a question and answer session so he could not offer a response.
Afterwards, Tinubu and the former FCT Minister, el-Rufai, left the venue. They were said to have been apparently unhappy at the decision of Senator Smart to turn the venue to a political gathering.
To cap it all, Senator Adeyemi moved a motion and put the question as it is done in the Senate. He put the question, saying; “those in favour of the solemnisation of Tosin and Faisal here today, say ‘aye’…… and the ayes have it.”
It was not the first time Senator Adeyemi was lashing out at those he blamed for truncating Nigeria’s democracy in the past. During a debate on the remunerations for past presidents and Heads of State, Senator Adeyemi rose on the Senate floor to announce that Nigeria should place a ban on anyone who had truncated democracy in the past. He insisted that anyone who had been seen to act negatively against the growth of Nigeria’s democracy in the past should not be allowed as partakers in the current politics, adding that the punishment for such persons should be life ban from partisan politics
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