Constitutional Review: Woman At Center Of Tinubu’s Wife Viral Video Opens Up, As ex-Lagos First Lady Denies Addressing Her As “Thug”

Arinola Oloko, the lady at the center of a viral video in which a former Lagos State first lady, now representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Senator (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu, was engaged in a public brawl, has opened up on how the incident happened.

BIGPENNGR had reported that Mrs Tinubu had engaged a lady, now identified as Arinola Oloko in a near fisticuffs during the Southwest zone public hearing on constitutional review.

In a video that had surfaced online and went viral, Mrs Tinubu, wife of former Lagos State governor and APC national leader, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, was seen throwing tantrum at the said woman during a shouting match by the duo.

However, speaking in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Friday, Oloko explained what transpired between her and the Lagos State former first lady, according to report.

Oloko said: “Invitations were sent to people to participate in the public hearing (for constitution review) which I attended with two other representatives from Bethel Nigeria – a non-partisan group interested in a better Nigeria. We had prepared our presentation and had been on the queue for a long time that day. People had been going in because they had their cards already given to them ahead of the programme, only for us to get to the door and be told that the hall was full and they already had 250 people seated and that was the capacity. It was a programme that was supposed to cover participants from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states with the latter having a population of over 10 million people.

“Besides, you were supposed to hold the meeting at TBS (Tafawa Balewa Square) only for it to be changed to Mariott Hotel at the last minute. I suggested to the crew outside on getting a screen so that we could participate and at least be a part of the process. We didn’t even mind if we were not seated, and that was it.

“Then Madam Senator – my senator – came out from the hall to say, ‘where is that woman that is talking?’

“I walked towards her and explained the situation of things. I also spoke that if they knew the situation would be that way, we would have registered online ahead and we could not have come all the way to Ikeja only to a limited capacity.”

“She said, ‘Shut up’ and ‘police, come and send this thug out of here’. “At that point, I said, ‘I am not a thug. A thug is a violent person, a criminal, and I refuse to be addressed as one. I am a Lagosian in your constituency and I have a right’.

“The video speaks for itself. Do they really want us to be a part of the review? If you do not want us to be involved, don’t pretend as if you do. It took me weeks to get people to follow me there. They had said it was a scam, so that it won’t be said that people were called and they didn’t attend.

Oloko, who said she holds a Master’s degree in Public Health, had earlier posted on her Twitter handle: “The venue of the public hearing of such importance to the future and determination of the people of Nigeria was changed from a venue with a capacity to accommodate 50,0000 people to a venue to accommodate 300 people at the last minute.

“It’s been two years since they have been in power and I think people do not understand the process. We have to understand what we are into before we can have a yardstick to follow. They are not even letting us into things they are doing. We cannot question them. So, really, we do not know what to measure them with in governance.

“I think we need to look back and see why things have not worked. We want the government to empower the girl-child and improve the quality of education. With all the violence going on, I feel if we want to change the narrative, we have to be a part of it. I will run for office again.

“Why are we always waiting for the government? Half of Nigerians do not know what it entails to be in politics here. I am using this opportunity to call on more Nigerians to be a part of the process, which is just it.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Tinubu, has said she didn’t call the educationist, Oloko, a thug at the venue of the public hearing on constitutional review on Wednesday.

According to her, she asked Oloko if she was a thug and not that she called her a thug.

The Senator representing Lagos Central made this known on Friday while featuring on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’, according to report in PUNCH.

Tinubu led the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution in the South-West.

However, there was a ruckus when Oloko was denied entry into the venue of the hearing. The 51-year-old woman, who protested her exclusion from the venue, was subsequently flayed by Mrs. Tinubu for being “rude”.

Speaking about the incident on Friday, the former First Lady of Lagos State said, “It was the noise I heard and as somebody concerned, I went there, that they will be a bit respectful when they see that they put my name as chair and I came out to see them.

“At least, we will be able to talk and dialogue. I didn’t know that it will turn into a noisy field and people will start screaming.

“I looked at them and I saw a woman. I will tell you, most of the works I’ve done have been supported by women. I understand women more than men despite the men I work with and even the men I work with, I respect them when I have to respect them but in this particular incident, I looked at the man, he was angry, possibly he could have waited for a long time. I didn’t know who registered, I wasn’t on the registration desk but I looked at the woman screaming and I said I can talk to a woman.

“I said, let me talk to you outside where everybody is, I’ve had COVID and I don’t think I want to be in a cramped place to want to be speaking. And I said, let’s go outside so that I can hear you and hear your complaint.”

“Then, she kept screaming and I said what is going on, are you a thug? I am not going to take that. Are you a thug? Am I talking to a thug? Then her eyes were popping and popping. She is younger than I am, why would I call her a thug outrightly?” the senator asked.