The Senator representing Lagos West
Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday, formally
reported Senator Dino Melaye to the All Progressives Congress and the
Senate, alleging that Melaye would have beaten her up but for the timely
intervention of her colleagues.
Tinubu, the wife of the national leader
of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in her separate letters, said the Kogi
West Senatorial District senator actually issued threats of rape and
assault against her and boasted that he would face no consequence even
if he fulfilled the threats.
She urged the leadership of the APC and
the Senate to do the needful by investigating the development with a
view to saving her from being the victim of Melaye’s threat.
She stated, “What took place at that
session was nothing short of a threat of physical assault and abuse
against me by Senator Melaye. As such, it was an affront to the Senate,
this government and to our party.
“For a party member to so antagonise and
attack another APC member in this fashion places the party in disrepute
and undermines the unity needed to accomplish the sober task of
reforming Nigeria for the better.
“Much of what took place has been widely
reported in the media. However, I would like to place on record for the
party this formal complaint in hope that the party will act to
appropriately sanction Senator Melaye for his malign behaviour.
“In this way, the party will affirm its
policy of zero tolerance for gender discrimination and to restore its
reputation as a vehicle of positive change and not an arm of regression
and intolerance towards women.
“During the 12 July Executive Session, I
was duly recognised to speak by the Senate President after Senator Dino
Melaye had spoken and berated some Senate colleagues for their
perceived roles in the judicial case involving the Senate Ieadership.
“Although I remained silent and
attempted no interjection during his statement, Senator Melaye tried to
abridge my rights as a Senator by hectoring at me and interrupting my
contribution.
“At one point, I cautioned him about the
use of his language and the threats made, reminding him that other
senators were there by equal right as he and represented their
constituents.
“In a burst of apparent rage, Senator Melaye charged at me in what can only be seen as effort to physically attack me.
“The attack was only prevented by some
respectful senators, who moved to impede his path or otherwise block him
from approaching closer to me. I thank those senators for their
personal courage and sense of decorum.
“Senator Melaye hurled foul and vulgar
language at me, what he said should never be heard in any public
institution, let alone the floor of the Senate.”
Tinubu further alleged that her male
colleague denigrated her as a woman, adding, “Senator Melaye threatened
to beat me on the floor of the Senate simply because I dared to express
an opinion different from his. I am both a ranking Senator and a woman.
“Melaye took neither into consideration
as he issued threats of rape and assault, whiIe boasting that he would
face no consequence even if he fulfilled these criminal threats.
“Compounding the damage inflicted by Senator Dino Melaye is the fact that we are both of the APC.
“Thus, I am compelled to report this
incident. It also gives me great concern that the Senate Ieadership has
heretofore been silent on this matter as if condoning the errant
behaviour of the Senator.”
She added, “Through this letter, I
officially inform the party about the improper behaviour of Senator
MeIaye and ask the party to investigate this matter in order to restore
the public image and moral standing of the party and of the APC members
in the Senate.
“In this manner, we show that we reject
the misconduct that has wronged our nation and its people for so long.
Only if we act against such excesses will the people truly believe we
are committed to the reforms we have promised them.
In her letter to Saraki, Tinubu noted
that a week after the indecorous eruption by Melaye, the Senate
leadership had been silent and had not reacted to the threatening
misconduct of Melaye.
She stated, “This serious transgression
of legislative behaviour is not allowed to pass, I formally submit for
the record that l object to the reckless misconduct of Melaye during the
July 12 Executive Session.
“What he did was completely
unjustifiable and contrary to the established customs and norms that
govern the behaviour of members of this body.
“For merely voicing my opinion on the
floor of the Senate, which is the fundamental right and duty of every
Senator, I was verbally abused and threatened by Senator Dino Melaye.
“He did not stop there; he used
blatantly sexist and misogynistic language offensive to every woman in
Nigeria and offensive to every person who truly believes that gender
discrimination has no place in the Nigeria we are trying to build for
ourselves and all future generations.
“ln summation, unless Melaye is
appropriately disciplined, he remains a danger to me and to the Senate
at large. He has promised twice within one week to attack me.
“In an attempt to preserve the dignity
of the Senate, I have refrained from saying anything in public outside
of the Executive Chamber about this incident.
“However, Melaye has become unmoored and
has since paraded his misconduct in public as if to threaten a female
senator is a badge of pride. lt is a sad day for Nigeria if such
misconduct is to be condoned and smiled upon.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the APC in
Benue State, Abba Yaro, has called on the party to begin thorough
screening, especially psychiatric tests, for all the aspirants
contesting elections on the platform of the party in future elections.
Yaro said this would be necessary to
forestall reckless behaviour among members, who after winning elections
in the party, would turn against the leaders of the party with the aim
of running down the party with their uncomplimentary attitudes.
Speaking with one of our correspondents
on the reported face-off between Melaye and Tinubu, in Makurdi, Benue
State capital, on Tuesday, Yaro described the purported insult on the
wife of the party’s national leader as an insult on the party in
general.
“For Christ’s sake, how could Melaye
have got the guts to talk to our national leader in such a manner? Where
was Melaye when Tinubu staked his neck out to fight the Peoples
Democratic Party and bring about the desired change into this country?
“Such a person needs to have his head examined thoroughly,” he said.
The state party chairman called on
Melaye to publicly apologise to the national leader of the party,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his wife over the attack on the latter at the
executive session of the Senate last week.
Labels: apc, dino malaye, politics, remi tinubu, tinubu
