Senate To Probe Tinubu Over Comments

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of former Lagos governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be questioned by her colleagues in the red chamber over comments attributed to her, attacking the leadership of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

At the plenary on Thursday, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, directed the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, to invite Tinubu to defend the statements she was alleged to have said to the media.

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), under Order 43 (Privileges) of the Senate Standing Orders (2011, as
amended), drew the attention of the Senate to newspaper publications which quoted Tinubu as saying there’s rot in the Senate, a statement Ndoma-Egba frowned at.

Laying down the newspapers before the Senate as evidence, the Senator said, “I would have brought this matter on the first day of our resumption but for respect for the memory of our departed colleague, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta.

“Today, therefore, is my earliest opportunity to raise it.

“There’s a story carried in ThisDay of June 5, 2014 attributed to a distinguished colleague of ours, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the headline is this: Activities in the Senate are depressing and I will read with your kind permission.“

Part of the story reads, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District took a swipe at the leadership of the Senate, accusing it of poor performance.

“Tinubu, at a media parley, to mark her third anniversary in the Senate said activities in the upper legislative chamber were depressing because its leadership had failed to address a lot of pressing national issues for partisan reasons.” She accused the Senate leadership of pandering to the wishes of the executive arm of government which is led by the PDP. I will just stop here.“

There’s another story in the Daily Trust of Monday, June 9, 2014, again attributed to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, which is titled, “Why I may not return to the Senate in 2015″ and with your kind permission, I may just read a little of it. “Wife of the former Lagos State governor, Oluremi Tinubu said she may not return to the Senate next year if the rot in the upper chamber persists…Mrs Tinubu said she’s depressed with the various activities that go on in the Senate…”

“Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, as I said before, I’m a Senator first and foremost and by the grace of my colleagues, a member of the leadership of the Senate and to the best of my knowledge, Senator Tinubu has never raised any concern with me or with the leadership on the activities of the Senate. “I think it is most unkind, it is most uncharitable for a distinguished Senator who has the opportunity of raising concerns with her colleagues, not doing so and going straight to the media to play to the gallery.

“So, I object very, very seriously to the comments made by Senator Tinubu and I want to submit that my privilege, as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been breached by the said Senator.”

June 27, 2014