Politics
Akpabio explains Tijani’s confirmation as minister despite calling senators morons
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has given reasons for the Senate confirmation of Dr. Bosun Tijani as Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy despite his controversial past, which included calling Nigerian lawmakers “morons.”
Akpabio disclosed that Tijani’s screening in the Senate was fraught with tension and rocky as a result of his pejorative remark on senators, but ultimately, the lawmakers were persuaded by their trust in President Bola Tinubu’s judgment.
Akpabio spoke on Saturday night at a special Iftar held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, to honour President Bola Tinubu who marked his 73rd birthday.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, revealed some details of the event in a statement on Sunday titled ‘President Tinubu: Why I Appointed Bosun Tijani as Minister Despite Past Criticism.’
According to the statement, Akpabio in his remarks noted that Tijani’s screening in the upper chamber was rocky after a senator recounted an instance where Tijani reportedly labelled all lawmakers as “morons.”
Akpabio narrated, “When he came to the Senate for screening, senators said, ‘No, no, we can’t have him.’
“One senator quoted from the internet where he described all Nigerian senators as ‘morons.’
“I had to stop proceedings and ask Bosun, ‘Did you write this?’ And he admitted, ‘Sir, I did because that was how I felt then.’ So I asked him, ‘And you have the audacity to stand before us and expect us to confirm you?’”
The Senate President noted that what ultimately swayed the lawmakers was their trust in President Tinubu’s judgment.
“Mr. President, we confirmed him because we knew you must have seen something special in him. You are never wrong when it comes to your judgment of people.
“I went into an executive session and told my colleagues, ‘Let us give this young man an opportunity and see what happens.’