Let me begin this piece by making it very clear that I have never been a fan of Senator Dino Melaye. In fact, I am one of those persons that has been so critical of the “Jarman of Okuta” and his style of politics. Till date, my old Twitter account@richieluv90 remains blocked from tweeting at@dino_melaye, his official Twitter handle after telling him how he lacked the moral standing to criticise the then Rivers State House of Assembly saga, since he was the one who introduced wrestling and boxing as part of legislature’s oversight functions in the House of Representatives.
Furthermore, his activities as Executive Secretary, Anti-Corruption Network, an organisation that was founded by him were to say the least, bias and highly partisan. Some people including me, regarded the defunct organisation as a political wing of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and one that was particularly formed for the sole aim of discrediting the former PDP administration under President Goodluck Jonathan in the eyes of the international community and from all indications, we were right as the organisation has since gone extinct after achieving it’s purpose.
But just like they say in politics, ‘No permanent enemy but permanent interest’. I have since buried my hatred for Senator Dino since we both have one interest, which is fighting for the independence of the Nigeria Senate.
As at today, one of the biggest topics of discussion in Nigeria is the quarrel between Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Oluremi Tinubu and how Senator Dino allegedly told her, he will “beat her up, impregnate her and nothing will happen.” One will wonder what might have warranted such a harsh comment from him.
For me, Senator Remi’s bossy and insulting attitude in the Senate where she thinks she can make derogatory remarks on her colleagues and even the Senate President is becoming out of control and must urgently be checked.
It will be recalled that, Senator Remi Tinubu took the political rivalry between her husband (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and Senator Musliu Obanikoro to the Senate when she almost went physical with the then ministerial nominee if not for the intervention of her colleagues during the latter’s ministerial screening at the Senate. There other instances where she raised her colleagues’ eyebrows by knowingly and arrogantly sitting on the Deputy Senate President’s seat in the Red Chamber and another case where it was widely reported, she snubbed the Senate President during her inauguration, among several other instances within and outside the Senate.
From the foregoing, it is very clear that Senator Oluremi Tinubu needed a fellow Senator with an uncommon courage and ruggedness to tell her what other people within and outside the Senate are afraid to tell her for fear of the “Jaghan”, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Truth is for every Goliath, there is always a David who will damn all the consequences just to stand up against his Goliath and that is what Senator Dino has succeeded in doing and he has won my respect for that singular act. Senator Remi needed somebody to remind her that, the Nigerian Senate belongs to Nigerians and not an extension of her husband’s bourdillion where politicians from different party crowd for favour. She needed a fearless Dino to tell her ‘enough is enough’ and am sure the message was clear to her.
I have read very funny comments on the social media about Senator Dino and how he has single handedly truncated his political career, but I beg to differ. Like Senator Melaye rightly pointed out in a press briefing, only God gives power. If God is for him, a thousand Tinubus cannot stop him. As a matter of fact, I rather fear for Asiwaju. It appears his reign as the strong man of Southwest politics and by extension Nigeria is coming to an end. If Dino walks free which I sincerely believe he will, many other Dino’s’ will follow suit and this time, it might not be through Remi but a direct attack.
Even though it is true that Asiwaju has made so many people what they are today including state Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members, ministers, Chairmen of boards etc. as I hear Senator Remi very often claims and boast, humility remains a virtue she must urgently imbibe. After all, her husband’s achievements were and are made possible through God’s approval. Whatever she does outside the Senate is none of my business but she and her husband must not allowed their desperation to add to the list of people they have made, the position of Senate President to belittle, ridicule and cause unnecessary tension in the Nigeria Senate.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu must be reminded that, she is not the only female Senator in the 8th Senate as they is a former Deputy Governor, minister, House of Rep member, Speaker of State House of Assembly with very intimidating CVs when compared to hers among others currently serving as Senators hence, the need for her to exercise some caution and decorum in the discharge of her legislative assignment.
Richard Romanus is a Cross Riverian, from Obubra Local Government Area. He can be reached on 08117135257
Richard Romanus, misses the main issue raised by the brouhaha. Context is everything, a man who has a history of violence against women threatened violence against a woman. That should be the primary cause for concern, verbal abuse fades into irrelevance against this issue. Many commentators (both men and women) seem not to grasp this.