This came against the backdrop of report of the incident to the Senate by Ogun State government, asking it to take action against Senator Obasanjo-Bello, just as the state government described the Senate’s investigation of the incident as a welcome development.

The Senate resolution was upon observations of intolerance on the part of governors and the general breach of the human rights of Nigerians by security agencies.

Senator Obasanjo-Bello (PDP, Ogun Central) was last week reported to have been engaged in a spat with security agents of Governor Daniel during the solemnization of the wedding of a daughter of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

While many Senators were inclined to overlook the details of the Saturday spat, Senator Bode Olajumoke (PDP, Ondo North), however, excused the Ogun Senator from accusation of deliberate provocation saying she is a “lady who enjoys her music and expresses it.’’

Presenting her account of what happened upon order 15 of the Senate standing rules, Senator Obasanjo-Bello said:

“On Saturday sir, I was invited and duly attended a wedding ceremony in which I sat behind the governor of my state. When the thanksgiving was going on Sir, I got up to praise the Lord as is usual in such ceremonies.

“The security agent attached to the governor was standing by my side and the governor was sitting in front of me and I was jubilating with the celebrant,’’ she said yesterday as she lifted up her hand to demonstrate how far her hands went up.

“I was dancing and praising the Lord and the next thing I knew the security agent pulled my hand and twisted it back saying that I was about to touch the governor’s head which had not occurred.’’

“What I now did was to push him and I said what kind of nonsense is this?  He now came and stood in front of me, between me and the governor so I stood up and went to another seat.

“And sir, given the fact that recently, a young female was beaten up on the streets of Lagos mercilessly I think we need to caution our security agents because that issue became an international debacle and if they continue like this  sir, we don’t know where it will end.’’

Following her presentation yesterday, Senators rose up to express disgust on what they complained was the frequent debasement of the human rights of Nigerians by governors and security agents.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government in a letter to the Senate President signed by the Secretary to the State Government [SSG] Otunba Adegbemi Onakoya said that Senator Obasanjo-Bello threw caution to the wind by directly assaulting a security detail of Governor Daniel at the wedding of the daughter of the Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.

In the letter dated 18th November, the Government said that such an “attack on the Governor of Ogun State particularly in a gathering outside the state is no doubt a security breach capable of provoking reprisal attacks in the state but for the mature manner in which His Excellency reacted to the occurrence.

“Much as His Excellency, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Governor of Ogun State has overlooked the incident and vowed to pursue the goals of his administration without any form of distraction, a situation where the person of His Excellency will be subjected to such provocative acts and ridicule to the consternation of the congregation in that church by any individual or group would not augur well for genuine political discipline, and would therefore not be acceptable,” the government said in the statement.

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