Kogi West Senator in the National Assembly, Mr Dino Melaye, has denied social media reports that he was among the federal lawmakers who booed President Muhammadu Buhari while presenting the 2019 national budget on December 19.
Melaye, who is still recuperating in a police hospital in Abuja, said he could not have been part of his colleagues’ action because he did not attend the event.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Gideon Ayodele, the senator said the rebuttal was not born out of fear but to put the records straight.
The statement read, “The attention of Senator Dino Melaye has been drawn to a malicious reference to his person on the social media as one of the lawmakers who booed President Muhammadu Buhari during his 2019 Budget presentation before a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.
“Before now, he (Melaye) had refused to refute the mischievous social media fabrication for what it is — a cheap lie — Senator Dino Melaye was not in the National Assembly that day.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye was absent at the televised 2019 budget presentation session and hereby challenges anyone with contrary proof to come forward with such.”
Melaye willingly surrendered himself to the police on Friday, eight days after the security operatives laid siege to his private residence in Abuja.
He collapsed afterwards and was rushed to a police hospital for urgent medical attention.
The Nigeria Police Force has deployed about 60 operatives in the Police Hospital, Garcia, Abuja, where Melaye was being treated.