ABUJA, Nigeria – Senate Minority Leader Simon Mwadkwom challenged Dele Alake, one of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, over a controversial comment that quickly escalated into dramatic debate on the Senate floor.
On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Mwadkwom, representing Plateau North Senatorial District, alleged that Alake had referred to some members of an opposition party as “wild dogs.”
The accusation prompted a series of pointed questions and subsequent intervention by the President of the Senate, Godwill Akpabio.
“You’ve talked about social media too. I have read on social media your statement concerning other political parties. I read your statement where you label supporters of a particular presidential candidate as wild dogs. Have you come across that statement, did you say that?” Mwadkwom inquired of Alake.
Akpabio’s firm response was an effort to keep the proceedings under control. “Number two, try and avoid campaign issues, campaigns are over, we are now in governance. That is why once you pass through that door, you are coming into the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said, urging the questions to be “nationalistic and not partisan.”
The situation grew tenser when Mwadkwom later asked Alake to recite the second stanza of the National Anthem, a request swiftly challenged by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who raised another point of order by claiming the question was irrelevant.
He accused the Minority Leader of choosing party politics over the custom of the screening, referring to a section of the rule book of the house.
Despite the back and forth, the session concluded without direct clarification from Alake regarding the alleged statement.
Political observers note that the confrontation between Mwadkwom and Alake symbolises the tension and polarization between different political factions in Nigeria.
The dramatic screening session may also reignite debates over the effectiveness of the ministerial confirmation process.
Although ultimately dismissed, the questions about the National Anthem focus discussions on national identity and patriotism in a country deeply divided along political, ethnic, and regional lines.
As the ministerial screening continues, this moment may serve as a reminder of the underlying tensions and differences that still need to be addressed within the Nigerian political landscape.
Whether these frictions will have a lasting impact on the cooperation between parties and the efficiency of governance remains to be seen.
