Senator Oluremi Tinubu represents Lagos Central Senatorial Disrict in the National Assembly. In this interview with select journalists, she speaks on the latest developments in the Senate, the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) state congresses in Lagos, and other issues. TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI brings the excerpts:

What is your reaction to the outcome of the state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State?

It was beautiful and we thank God that we had good weather. That will tell you that everything is by the grace of God. And you can see that everybody was happy and we are celebrating the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
I think the outcome was satisfactory to everybody. Everybody is happy at the event as party members used the opportunity to reacquaint themselves as they were happy to see one another. Leaders of the have shown us the way to go and we are ready to go.

What is your take on the parallel state congress organised by some APC chieftains at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, where another set of executives also emerged?

Those ones didn’t know what they were doing as far as I am concerned. We were at APC secretariat and those who are relevant in the party were there, so who led the parallel congress? That would be the question.
The party leaders were at the party’s secretariat. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was there. The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly was also there. I was equally there as well as many other party leaders.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to unite all warring factions in the party. Do you see him making a headway given the wrangling in the party?

The point is that even God that created us gave us the ability to choose. This is a democracy to start with and when you have a leader that people cannot even question his decision; you then have dictatorship.
But in a democracy, people are free to express themselves as long as that expression is not violent. You are free to express yourselves and at the end of the day, the best man will win.
So, whatever is going on, people are just expressing themselves the way they want. They saw other states doing that but Lagos State has always being the model of what true democracy should be. And that is what we are exercising. Anybody that is outside of that is just burning a strange fire.

You are a very formidable member of APC but some of your supporters complain that they don’t see you everyday. How true is that?

I am glad you say you don’t see me everyday. I tell people that Alagemo le mi. Alagemo in Yoruba is a special masquerade; it only comes out once in a while. If I don’t have anything to say I don’t come out; I don’t want to be seen.
If I have work to do and I want you all to come, I invite you to come. You know in my first term, I did press parleys that none of my colleagues did. That is the way we play politics. It is not every time you want to talk. So, when you have something to say; very important and cogent things that you want your constituents to share, you come out as you represent them.

The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki recently raised an alarm that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, wants to frame him up in a murder case that happened in Kwara State. How would you react to that?

He raised an alarm. So, how do you want me to speak on somebody raising an alarm?

What would you say about that as a member of the Senate?

There is a decision taken on the floor of the Senate and I am part of it. So, until we finish that is when I will have something to say. As it is now, politics is very interesting and very dicey and that is why we should mind the toes that we step upon. And those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones.


Read more https://independent.ng/in-politics-we-should-mind-the-toes-that-we-step-on-tinubu/

Ok

It's like Dino and Saraki stepped on the wrong toes

Dino, u hear