Bayelsa Senator, Dickson, blasts lawmakers over motion to eulogize Tinubu amid security challenges (Video)
During plenary in Tuesday, the Senate had adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Asiru Yisa representing Kwara South, which praised what he described as Tinubu’s “exemplary leadership” after dozens of abducted worshippers and schoolchildren were rescued in Kwara and Niger States.
The motion also called for the creation of a Joint Task Force for the Kwara–Kogi corridor and investigations into the withdrawal of soldiers in Kebbi.
But while addressing the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Dickson, kicked against the resolution, maintaining that the commendation was hypocritical on the part of the Red Chamber amidst the prevailing scary security challenges.
Dickson stated that he strongly rejects the motion seeking to commend Tinubu and the security agencies for recent rescue operations, insisting that the nation was under attack and Nigerians were traumatised, noting that such commendation was hypocritical instead of telling the President the truth.
In his presentation titled “Let’s tell President Tinubu the truth’, Dickson accused the Senate leadership of playing politics with a national emergency and attempting to stop him from speaking frankly on the worsening security crisis.
Senator Dickson went on to accuse the leadership of the Senate of desperation to be seen to be politically correct amidst the grim realities facing Nigerians due to the scary insecurity.
“I believe that the President needs to be told the truth, and that those with access to him, particularly from the majority party and others, should tell the President the true situation of things,” he said.
“The seriousness of the matter is such that there should be no sugarcoating, or attempts to be politically correct, as that is, in my opinion, unnecessary hypocrisy and disservice to the country and even to the president.
“As I said, we are the Senate of the Federal Republic with powers to oversight the President and the military, including the ministers and the security leaders. And that we must do.
“That is our responsibility to the nation and the people of Nigeria who are presently under attack, displaced, traumatised, killed and apprehensive.
“They are wondering what their leaders and their government are doing. In the prevailing circumstances, I expressed on the floor a strong objection to the motion of commendation because it is ill-timed, insensitive and even provocative.
“It is not helpful to the image of the Senate as an institution or the president who is sought to be commended. If things had been so well done, we would not be where we are today.
“How will the victims, the soldiers fighting, the victims of kidnapping and families of those killed feel? There are members of the National Assembly who spoke in support of this commendation but who cannot visit their communities or their Senatorial Districts because of insecurity and killings.
“There are members of the National Assembly whose Senatorial Districts are currently under the occupation of terrorists who run parallel governments and impose all manner of taxes on their constituents. How will the people feel?
“There are soldiers, police officers and other security agents from all over this country who are fighting and dying.
“Our duty is to express strong solidarity and support to those who are fighting on the frontlines while working with the Executive. This we do by effective oversight, appropriation support and policy advice,“ Dickson stated.
Continuing, the former Bayelsa state governor said:
“It is wrong to begin a discussion on serious issues of insecurity with a request to commend the president and the government. I don’t believe that the president is looking for such commendation.
“I have always said, even in previous governments, that the nation should unite, especially in times of national crisis such as now. But the time and circumstances in the country do not call for any commendation now. The times call for collaboration as well as honest opinion and advice and patriotism.
“Those with unhindered access to the President, from both chambers of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, should tell the President the true situation of things and the true feelings of the people.
“To me, the motion required us to investigate the allocations and disbursements to the military and security agencies. So we must strengthen oversight and ensure that the trillions that have been budgeted are used for the purpose for which they were approved.
“Presidents over the years have released staggering sums of money to the military to fight terrorism.”
“Why are you commending President Tinubu? Even during battle times, it’s not easy to løse a Brigadier General this way. Look at how people are being kidn@pped across the country.”
—Senator Seriake Dickson criticizes Senate President Akpabio and APC senators for praising Tinubu… pic.twitter.com/dyNVPE9nhh
— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) November 26, 2025
