THE Ministerial Nominee screening took a twist at the weekend as one nominee, Bosun Tijani was grilled by the lawmakers over a Twitter post he made four years ago.
‘’Nigeria is a bloody expensive tag,’’ Tijani Tweeted that year.
During the screening exercise, Tijani was reminded of the comment by the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Buhari.
“On the 21st of July 2019, Dr Bosun tweeted against Nigeria that he does not appreciate the Nigerian passport and Nigeria as a nation,” the Oyo Senator said.
The Senate was led to ask the nominee if he still maintained the same stance he had from 2yrs ago.
Tijani responded in the negative and stated that his comments then were merely as a result of anger as well as his run-in with the Chinese Embassy.
He moved to apologise to the Senate for his comments and hoped they pardon him for those words said only out of anger.
“I tweeted in anger,” the Ogun state indigene seeking ministerial nomination pleaded.
In the nominee’s defence, Senator Ishaku Abbo representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, tried to explain that those words were more out of “love for Nigeria” rather than hate.
Subsequently, Senator Solomon Adeola from Ogun West Senatorial District blamed the nominee’s actions on “youthful exuberance.”
The Senate Minority Leader representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Simon Mwadkwon, was having none of it when he rose to read yet another tweet by the nominee which he deemed “non-patriotic.”
In a similar vein, Senate Majority Leader representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Opeyemi Bamidele, put it to Tijani that he was an “EndSARS protester.”
Tijani, once again, apologised to the Federal lawmakers which prompted the Senate President, Godswill Akpabior, to wade in and call on the Senate to forgive the erring nominee.
“We are all fathers and we cannot throw the baby away with the bath water…On behalf of the Senate, I want to accept your apology,” Akpabio pleaded.
