"He breached an elementary protocol" - Senate Chief whip

Reactions have continued to trail the allegation made by Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, that he was prevented from greeting President Muhammadu Buhari by officials of the Department of State Securities (DSS).

The Senate Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye who was at the Presidential dinner has reacted to the allegation by Senator Ben Murray-Bruce saying the Bayelsa state lawmaker breached an elementary protocol.

According Senator Adeyeye, Senator Dino Melaye had exchanged pleasantries with those on the president's table, an action which prompted others to do same.

He stated that the scene became clumsy and indecorous prompting the DSS officials to intervene.

Adeyeye his claims that move by the DSS was political adding that Barnabas Gemade, an All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker was also turned back by the security operatives.

He said: "It was Sen Dino Melaye who first went to greet those seated at the president’s table, including President Buhari. He was well greeted. No one in the Senate has criticized President Buhari more than Senator Melaye.

"But as others rose to do what Dino had done, the scene got clumsy and indecorous because people were approaching the president’s table from different directions.

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”I sat between and . The three of us felt embarrassed by what was clearly a breach of dinner protocol. At that level, if dinner was served or being served, good etiquette demanded that the President’s table should not be approached. One should wait until people had finished eating.

”No senator in the USA would breach such elementary protocol. We (on my table) predicted in whispers that colleagues would soon be barred from approaching the president’s table and it happened.

"The first person to be turned back was Senator Gemade who was visibly embarrassed. He belongs to the APC; he is not a known critic of the president.

”When I noticed that most people had finished their food, I approached the table and offered my pleasantries. Others followed suit. No one was turned back,” he added.

Similarly, Shehu Sani, a kaduna state lawmaker has dismissed claims that his colleague was barred from greeting President Buhari by security agents.