After ‘bashing’ from Melaye, APC senator tenders apology for criticising amended timetable

Ovie Omo-Agege, senator representing Delta central, has apologised for criticising the amended election timetable passed by the national assembly.

Last week, the senate adopted the timetable earlier passed by the house of representatives.

Omo-Agege and eight senators, who staged a walkout when the amendment was being ratified, later addressed reporters.

They said they rejected the action of their colleagues because the amendment could be targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

“You don’t make a law targeted at one person. The perception out there is that this Section 25 was included to target Mr. President,” Omo-Agege had told journalists.

At the plenary session on Tuesday, Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, raised a point of order to accuse Omo-Agege of denigrating the senate by alleging that the resolution on the amendment was targeted at Buhari.

“To take the decision by the senate and the integrity of the senate put together (and say) that it was tailored to target a particular person, it is unheard of, it is in bad taste and I do not want to be part of that,” he said.

“When I was following the president, campaigning and working for him to become the president of this country, Ovie Omo-Agege was labouring in the Labour Party.”

The matter was referred to ethics committee for investigation.

But speaking on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, the Delta senator who defected to the APC, from Labour Party, said he realised that some of the things he said were offensive.

“Mr. President, yesterday I wasn’t here, my colleague, my brother, senator Dino Melaye brought a motion under order 14 and 15. That motion arose as a consequence of debate on the sequence of election of the electoral act amendment which was passed at this senate on Wednesday,” he said.

“Mr President, in the course of that debate, I did address the press. Mr President, with certain remarks I made in the course of that press interview, which my attention has been drawn to, has been offensive not just to senator Dino Melaye but to the entire senate. I rise today to apologise to the leadership and the entire senate. Mr President, I take back my words.”

On his part, Ekeweremadu, deputy senate president, who presided over plenary, said by apologising, Omo-Agege exhibited courage.

“My view is that it takes courage for a man to say sorry. In the circumstance, especially when the matter has been referred to the committee, what I suggest is that the committee quickly meets with him and then we’ll be able to have the report as quickly as possible so that we’ll be able to take a decision,” he said.