At the ongoing ministerial screening at the senate on Monday, Elisha Abbo, Senator representing Adamawa north, on Monday narrated how Rauf Aregbesola, the ministerial nominee from Osun state, gave him his one-month salary to contest the chairmanship election in his hometown in 2012.
Speaking during the screening at the senate, Abbo said Aregbesola showed him kindness seven years back and providence has now made it possible for him to be among those screening the nominee.
He described the former governor of Osun as a “detribalised, honest Nigerian” and asked the senate to extend the respect accorded to ex-lawmakers to Aregbesola.
“I want to join my colleagues from Osun and the entire south-west to extol the virtue of this great Nigerian,” he said.
“I remember in 2012 when I contested for the chairmanship of my local government as a very tiny young man; I visited you in GRA, Ikeja in your house. I never knew you and you asked me to come in and I explained my problems and you told me to come to the government house and meet you.
“When I got there, I thought I would stay there for three days without seeing you. I filled a form, you saw my name and ushered me into your office upstairs and you gave me the whole of your salary that month to go to Adamawa and contest election.
“Today, to the grace of God, I am one of the people confirming your nomination. I want to enjoin my colleagues to please allow this detrabilised, honest Nigerian to take a bow and go and also ask of Mr President of Nigeria to give you a very big ministry. God bless you, sir.”
In his response, Aregbesola said he could not recollect the encounter but commended Abbo for sharing it publicly.
He said he owed such gesture to Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “who groomed me well”.
Abbo, the youngest senator in Nigeria, was in the news two months ago when a video of him assaulting a nursing mother at a sex toy shop in Abuja went viral.
He is being investigated by the senate.
