By Emmanuel Aziken
The decision to reshuffle the Senate committees came on the last sitting day before the Senate proceeded on recess. Coming after one of the most turbulent weeks for the leadership when Senator Dino Melaye came on the spot after allegedly verbally attacking Senator Remi Tinubu, the reshuffle may have been a sop to foes of the leadership.
Mainly affected were two of the most outspoken critics of the leadership – Senators Kabiru Marafa who was moved from the committee on National Population to the chairman of Petroleum Downstream; and Senator Tinubu who was moved from Committee on Women Affairs to Environment. Another person affected was Senator Binta Garba who was moved from Committee on Tertiary Education to Committee on Women Affairs. Senator Garba, one of the longest serving legislators since the advent of the Fourth Republic was described as being neither here nor there and as such possibly expendable.
The appointment of Marafa and Tinubu into committees may be seen by some as a way of appeasing the two who are leading elements of the Senate Unity Forum, SUF, the group of All Progressives Congress, APC, senators opposed to the way and manner Senate Bukola Saraki emerged as Senate President.
But given her background and the seeming principles involved in her agitation, it remains an issue whether the reshuffle would be enough to soften Senator Tinubu.
Internal opposition
Senator Saraki’s appeasement of the internal opposition may be his own desperate effort to consolidate his support in the chamber given the recent troubles, including two ongoing trials he has claimed to be politically motivated.
The move towards conciliation was almost derailed penultimate Tuesday, July 12 when the Senate resumed.
Indeed, on that day, tempers were undoubtedly charged when the Senate reconvened from the Sallah break. The day before, July 11, the presiding officers of the Senate, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu had been arraigned in court for allegedly forging the Senate Rule book.
As such when the senators returned that day, it was understandable that the Senate immediately resolved into a closed door session. Account of how that session proceeded have been variously narrated by different partisan interests in the Senate; but what is agreed by all, even by the lead combatant, Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West was that harsh and seemingly misogynist words were used on Senator Oluremi Tinubu, APC Central. The Kogi State born senator was variously quoted to have vowed to beat up Senator Tinubu and in the words of Mrs. Tinubu to also rape her.
The setting for the face off was the division in the Senate that had seen Senator Tinubu, and some other APC senators take position against the emergence of Senator Saraki as Senate President. The bitterness of the group styled as the Senate Unity Forum had seen them petition the police alleging that the Senate Standing Rules had been forged.
With Senators Saraki and Ekeweremadu in the dock over the charge, the Senate on resumption on July 12 had resolved into a closed door to prospect how a solution could be found to the arraignment.
Sources said that Senator Tinubu had in her contribution frowned at how Senator Melaye spoke to other senators as she complained that Melaye’s harsh words complicated the matter.
It was in response that Melaye allegedly fired back using words that have been generally condemned.
Public strolls around Lagos
As news of what happened in the closed-door session came out, Mrs. Tinubu’s husband, himself a Third Republic senator and a national leader of the APC came out in a strong statement to denounce Melaye saying that his political career was finished.
Melaye, who has won a reputation positively or negatively for drama, including at least two fighting bouts in the House of Representatives, came out last weekend to challenge Asiwaju Tinubu as the elder Tinubu is otherwise called.
Melaye, who lodged at the Eko Hotel, subsequently went on public strolls around Lagos taking pictures in public landmarks and posting same on facebook as a seeming taunt to the Tinubus.
Again when the Senate returned on Tuesday, the issue was dragged into another closed door session where Melaye was reported to have apologised to the Senate for bringing the institution into the mud; he, however, reportedly refused to apologise to Senator Tinubu.
Following the Senate session, Mrs. Tinubu also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, the Senate President and the national chairman of their party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Her petition to Odigie-Oyegun was instructive as she made reference to the fact that the Senate Leadership, which is supposedly under the control of the party failed to call Melaye to order.
Whether drawing from the letter to the party chairman or not, Saraki subsequently met separately with Mrs. Tinubu and Melaye following which both parties resolved to bury the hatchet. Affirming that she had forgiven Melaye, Mrs. Tinubu said on Wednesday that her Christian virtues compelled her to put the trespass behind her.
“I met with the Senate leadership yesterday (Tuesday) after one week; I met with him (Senate President Bukola Saraki) yesterday. And as a Christian, I said I had already forgiven him (Melaye) for even with the way I was treated. But the point is that what people don’t realise is that I am a very reserved person.
“After I gave my word to him (Saraki) yesterday, I told myself that at 55 I am not a wimp of anybody. “I witnessed the Sani Abacha regime, and I know what I saw and why I am committed to this cause. But now, my hands are tied to say I forgive people. I am a Christian; when I give my word, I must abide by it. But I am not scared to follow this through.
Continuing division
“I am not championing a cause for women. I am only standing in my space, and if my space is encroached upon, I have to fight back,” she said.
However, despite the settlement, the issue of the division between both sides in the Senate, the SUF and the Likeminds where Melaye is attached would continue to reverberate in the Senate.
The continuing division inevitably puts the ruling party under further stress as it fights to keep the reins on its members in the National Assembly.
Remarkably, Senator Ekweremadu let it slip earlier this week during a solidarity visit to him that some APC senators were set to defect to the PDP.
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