The Senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani has reacted to Senator Ben Murray Bruce’s claim that he was prevented from exchanging pleasantries with President Buhari at the presidential dinner yesterday.
Murray-Bruce had alleged that some DSS officials prevented him from greeting president Buhari at the presidential dinner hosted in honor of the National Assembly members yesterday, May 30th.
Senator Shehu Sani, who is also very critical of the Buhari-led government, however said he did not witness such at the dinner.
Sani made this known in a series of tweets on his Twitter account, where he posted; “We met with Mr President at the Villa yesternight.
“He was frank and blunt with us and we were honest with him.
“He addressed us, and those nominated to speak responded, raised issues and asked questions of which he answered. I actually wanted to speak but I was not so lucky.”
Sani further expressed surprise over the claim by his colleague and senator representing Bayelsa east senatorial district, Senator Ben Bruce that he was stopped from greeting the President at the dinner.
He added, “I was surprised to learn that one of us later disclosed that he was prevented by the security agents from coming close to Mr president.
“I personally experienced no such.
“And I don’t think Mr president can bar any legislature from coming close to him for holding different opinion on national issues.
“I always have independent mind and will always speak my mind when there is need to do so; for decades, Mr President knows me for that and still respect me for that.
“Its not everything the security agents do that Mr President will know.
“Mr President’s address to us was comprehensive and satisfying.
“Wishing him Lord’s blessing and a good health in this historic mission to rebuild our great Country.
“PMB is a leader we most need and deserve at this time,” he concluded.
Speaking in a similar vein, the Senator representing Osun central district, Adesola Adeyeye, who was also present at the dinner, said, “I was at the dinner. I sat in the front row along with other Principal Officers of the national Assembly.”
Sharing his own account of what transpired at the dinner, he said, “I had a vantage view of what transpired. And I’m disappointed by this comment from a respected colleague.
“I have on two occasions provided robust defence of Sen Ben Bruce. Not This Time!
“It was Sen Dino Melaye who first went to greet those seated at the president’s table, including President Buhari. He was well greeted. No one in the senate has criticised President Buhari more than Sen Melaye.
“But as other rose to do what Dino had done, the scene got clumsy and indecorous because people were approaching the president’s table from different directions.
“I sat between Sen Olujimi and Sen Bwacha. The three of us felt embarrassed by what was clearly a breach of dinner protocol. At that level, If dinner is served or being served, good etiquette demanded that the President’s table should not be approached.
“One should wait until people had finished eating.
“No senator in the US would breach such elementary protocol.
“We (on my table) predicted in whispers that colleagues would soon be barred from approaching the President’s table, and it happened.
“The first person to be turned back was Sen Gemade, who was visibly embarrassed. He belongs to the APC: he is not a known critic of the President.
“When I noticed that most people had finished their food, I approached the table and offered my pleasantries. Others followed suit, and no one was turned back.”
