The Senator for Lagos Central, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has denied calling an educationist, Arinola Oloko a thug at the South-West zonal public hearing of the Constitution Review on Wednesday.
She said she only asked the lady if she was a thug and did not categorically call her one.
Senator Tinubu spoke Friday as a guest on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’.
Recall that The Herald reported that the senator, who led the Constitution Review committee in the South-West, was engaged in a shouting match with would-be participants.
The incident occurred at Marriot Hotel in Lagos.
Oloko, like many other would-be participants, decried her exclusion from the exercise and Senator Tinubu lambasted her for being “rude”.
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Explaining her side of the story, Senator Tinubu said, “It was the noise I heard and as somebody concerned, I went there, that they will be a bit respectful when they see that they put my name as chair and I came out to see them.
“At least, we will be able to talk and dialogue. I didn’t know that it will turn into a noisy field and people will start screaming.
“I looked at them and I saw a woman. I will tell you, most of the works I’ve done have been supported by women. I understand women more than men despite the men I work with and even the men I work with, I respect them when I have to respect them but in this particular incident, I looked at the man, he was angry, possibly he could have waited for a long time. I didn’t know who registered, I wasn’t on the registration desk but I looked at the woman screaming and I said I can talk to a woman.
“I said, let me talk to you outside where everybody is, I’ve had COVID and I don’t think I want to be in a cramped place to want to be speaking. And I said, let’s go outside so that I can hear you and hear your complaint.”
“Then, she kept screaming and I said what is going on, are you a thug? I am not going to take that. Are you a thug? Am I talking to a thug? Then her eyes were popping and popping. She is younger than I am, why would I call her a thug outrightly?” Tinubu said.