Leader of the ACN and former governor of
Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu got the
shocker of his life after he was publicly
humiliated by Kogi Senator and former
President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists,
Senator Smart Adeyemi who asked him at a
party in Dubai why he would serve a man who
truncated democracy! Tinubu was stunned at
the effrontery of Adeyemi as was the audience.
Tinubu, along with controversial former
minister of the Federal Capital Teritorry, Nasir
Elrufai, immediately left the hall after the
incident apparently angered that Adeyemi put
Tinubu on the spot.
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.. WOW!!!
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