Another drama unfolded at the Senate during the ongoing ministerial screening on Tuesday, August 2, 2023, after Dele Alake was asked to recite the national anthem.
Having presented his resume to the lawmakers, the Senate minority leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon asked Alake to recite the second stanza of the national anthem.
The request caused an uproar in the hallowed chamber as some of them rejected the question directed at Alake.
The Senate majority leader, Opeyemi Bamidele was among the lawmakers who vehemently shut down the request by Mwadkwon.
While lawmakers bickered over the question, Bamidele raised a point of order that the nominee should not respond to the question.
Quoting order 52 sub-section 4, Bamidele said, “A senator must confine his observation to the subject under discussion and may not introduce irrelevant matter.”
He argued that the minority brought politics into the screening exercise “by asking Alake to recite any of the stanzas of the national anthem.”
He, therefore, urged the Senate to reject Mwadkwon’s question, saying it is irrelevant to the provision of order 52 sub-section 4.
In support of Bamidele’s submission, the Senate President, Godswill Akapbio also considered Mwakwon’s question to be out of line, saying every adult Nigerian is expected to know the national anthem.
Mwadkwon had earlier asked Alake a question relating to his role during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.
Alake was Director of Strategic Communication in the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council.
While asking the question, some of his colleagues shouted him down saying the question was partisan.
Awon olodo! What is wrong in asking him to recite national anthem when he is supposed to know it from primary school.
As an engineer by training I went for employment interview in nnpc many years ago, on seeing my credentials one of the least question I expected to be asked was what is the chemical formula of water? I simply replied H2O and I was asked to go.
If Alake could not answered that how will he be able to discharge his service to the nation patriotically?