Remi Tinubu: I didn’t shake Saraki’s hands because he deprived us of a swearing-in ceremony

Oluremi Tinubu, the senator representing Lagos central at the national assembly, has revealed her reason for ignoring the handshake gesture of Bukola Saraki, senate president, during the inauguration of the eighth national assembly.

Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Tinubu said she had already explained to Saraki, her reasons for snubbing him.

“I had a private meeting with him for less than an hour. And I had the opportunity to tell him why I didn’t shake his hand after my inauguration as a senator,” she said.

“I told him the reason. I said you deprived us from having a swearing-in ceremony. I said that was why I was angry. I said I was angry and that was it. And I have talked to him afterwards. That was the first time I would sit with him in a meeting. I have never had the opportunity.”

She also said she was “overwhelmed” by the extent of support she received from Nigerian women following the controversial episode with her colleague, Dino Melaye, during an executive session of the senate.

Subsequent to the much-publicised confrontation, where Melaye allegedly tried to assault Tinubu for calling him a “thug”, women groups carried out protests in Lagos and Abuja. Tinubu said that if she didn’t serve very well in Lagos, women would not have risen up.

“They have seen me help many,” she said.

“I want to really appreciate Nigerian women for rising up to the occasion. When you say women, I am part of them. I am a woman to start with. And this is a terrain that is quite familiar to me. I have worked with them in many capacities even when my husband was the governor of Lagos State. These women reacted because they understood that such a blatant and unfair attack against one woman is an attack upon all.

“It is quite overwhelming for me, the way I have seen them rise up. Over the years, I have met with a lot of women groups either through a lot of social functions. What they did in the past couple of days, it is something I cannot really explain to you. It is something I had thought, do I really deserve this? I didn’t know how it happened. I was overwhelmed, I thank Nigerian women. I was overwhelmed, I was humbled by their solidarity, and I was touched. I want to use this opportunity to say from the bottom of my heart, I am very grateful.

“I decided not to even talk to the press on the issue. I believe whatever is said in the executive session is not supposed to be divulged to the public. So, I tried not to go to Lagos over the weekend; I avoided every social event and I stayed back. But when I got the reactions, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how it was leaked to the public.

“I tried to avoid a lot of public confrontations on the floor of the Senate. Except things are very crucial, very dear, that is when I rise to speak. I thought this intimidation has been going on for a long time and I just thought it was the time to speak out, for which it is good, because it was a closed session; no press was there.

“Like I told the Senate President that I only got up to speak because he said they would suspend people. Why will anybody bring up issue of suspension?

“Even in the 7th Senate, I have been known to speak my mind and also criticise the Senate if they were not doing what they were supposed to do for the people. I have done that over the years. And looking at the people who constitute the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, I felt this is not going to favour anyone. So, I just rose up and said: ‘Why are you threatening?’ That was how it went on and on.”