One of the ministerial nominees from Ogun state and an Information Technology expert, Bosun Tijani, has explained to the senate the circumstances surrounding his non-patriotic tweet over 4 years saying that he tweeted in anger.
The ministerial nominee who was grilled by senators during screening also apologized to members of the upper legislative chamber for calling them “morons” in a 2021 Twitter post.
Tijani was responding to a question asked by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, over the controversial tweet post, on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at the ongoing ministerial screening.
- Senator Buhari said, “On the 21st of July 2019, Dr. Bosun tweeted against Nigeria that he does not appreciate the Nigerian passport and Nigeria as a nation.’’
The lawmaker asked the nominee to clarify whether he still believes in Nigeria and the country’s passport.
Tweet was due to frustration
Addressing the Senate, Tijani, the CEO and co-founder of CcHub, said he is very passionate about Nigeria and is committed to the country’s development. The nominee said he tweeted due to a frustrating experience he had with the Chinese Embassy.
“I tweeted in anger,” the ministerial nominee from Ogun State admitted.
The ministerial nominee said a Chinese embassy official told him that he will be subjected to further scrutiny because of his Nigerian passport.
He said his Twitter posts were made “out of anger and patriotism” for the country and not hatred.
He added that out of patriotism, he invested in the development of young Nigerians through technology.
Senator Ishaku Abbo representing Adamawa North Senatorial District immediately rose to Tijani’s defense, saying that the nominee tweeted out of a mixture of frustration and love for Nigeria.
Also, Senator Solomon Adeola from Ogun West Senatorial District defended the nominee from his state, saying his “youthful exuberance” and “shortcoming” should be forgiven.
Adeola, who chided the nominee, said Tijani has what it takes to use his skills to develop Nigeria’s IT industry, saying the baby should not be thrown away with the bath water.
Tweet in support of #EndSARS protest
Tijani’s prolonged tough moment was not yet over before the lawmakers as the Senate Minority Leader representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Simon Mwadkwon, read another “non-patriotic” tweet by Tijani which was posted sometimes in 2021.
Similarly, Senate Majority Leader representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Opeyemi Bamidele, described Tijani as an “EndSARS protester”.
Bamidele said his daughter also protested police brutality and extrajudicial killings in October 2020.
He said Tijani was trying to speak for his generation and should not be haunted.
The Senate Leader said Tinubu wants to work with young people like Tijani to harmonize their ideas for the betterment of the country.
Bamidele asked youths to learn from Tijani’s situation and thereafter urged his colleagues to forgive the nominee.
The nominee subsequently apologized for his controversial tweets before Senate President Godswill Akpabio said his apology was accepted.
