A lawmaker from Plateau North Senatorial District, Simon Mwadkwon, confronted Dele Alake during his ministerial screening on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The lawmaker claimed that the presidential spokesperson labelled supporters of a particular presidential candidate as “wild dogs” during the last presidential election.
Alake, one of the 28 ministerial nominees presented by President Bola Tinubu for screening, appeared before the red chamber led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
He is a candidate from Ekiti State and was the Director of Strategic Communication of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in the February 25 poll that brought Tinubu as President.
During his ministerial screening, Senator Mwadkwon, the Senate Minority Leader, said: “Mr nominee, a lot of accolades have been showered on you and from your CV (curriculum vitae), you’ve done credibly well for Nigeria, especially the struggle for democracy. I’m convinced.
“Seated as senators here, the issue of our political parties is secondary; we are senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am saying this because of the question I want to ask you.
Therefore, any question coming from me should be taken that it is coming from a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not from the minority Senate.
“My question is that: I heard you, sir, you said as a writer or journalist, you are an image maker, you speak out of inspiration and conviction… You’ve talked about social media too. I have read on social media, your statement concerning other political parties during the election.
“I read a statement where you labelled supporters of a particular presidential candidate as “wild dogs”. Have you come across that statement? Are you aware of it? Did you say that?”
After Mwadkwon’s question, Akpabio urged his colleagues to try and avoid campaign issues, saying “campaigns are over” and “questions must be nationalistic and not partisan”.
Mwadkwon continued and insisted that Alake answer whether it is true or not that he labelled opponents of his principal as “wild dogs” during the electioneering process earlier this year.
However, Akpabio interjected and asked that his colleague move to his second question.
