Penultimate week, there was a huge traffic of eminent Nigerians to
the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 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.
The event, which ordinarily should only have witnessed the tying of
nuptial knots and exchange of marital vows between the two lovers,
however, assumed an event of many colours as dignitaries started
arriving Dubai. At the end, it lived up to the standard of a society
wedding, which showcased the true colours of the parents of the groom
and the bride as well as their reach in the Nigerian society.
As guests began to gather at the A W Marriot Hotel, Dubai, venue of
the wedding, it dawned on all that many sectors of the Nigerian society
have been moved to Dubai for the purpose of that wedding. 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.
There were no fewer than 15 managing director of Nigerian banks and
their chairmen in attendance. There were chairmen of companies; there
was also a long list of top civil servants, including permanent
secretaries, ambassadors, members of the diplomatic community and
players in the oil and gas industry as well as oil service companies.
There were also top lawyers, an array of Senior Advocates of Nigeria
(SAN), MD of Coscharis Motors and other top auto dealers in Nigeria as
well as politicians of many shades.
Feelers from the wedding event confirmed to Sunday Tribune that no
fewer than 1,000 top class Nigerians were present at the wedding.
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.
source:
tribune
