Following her petition to the police asking for protection on Monday, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the senator representing Lagos Central, has also petitioned the leaderships of the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Senate over the altercations between her and Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye at the executive session of the Senate last Tuesday.
In the letter she wrote to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Monday, Senator Tinubu had asked for protection, complaining that the Kogi Senator constituted a threat to her life.
In the different letters she sent to John Odigie Oyegun, the National Chairman of APC and leadership of the Senate on Tuesday, the Lagos Central Senator complained that Melaye has not been cautioned by the leadership of the upper chamber since the incident occurred.
The two letters were also revealing of what really happened at the closed door session.
In the letter to the Senate President, the Lagos Senator said she has refrained from commenting on what happened at the closed session out of respect for the Senate.
But she noted that the Kogi Senator has not demonstrated the same caution, as according to her, “he (Melaye) has since paraded his misconduct in public as if to threaten a Female Senator is a badge of pride.”
She added that the Senate President has failed to act despite the fact that he presided over the session where Melaye used “sexist and misogynist language offensive to every woman in Nigeria and every person who truly believes gender discrimination has no place in the Nigeria we are trying to build for ourselves and future generations,” against her.
In the letter to Oyegun, Tinubu said: “I was duly recognized to speak by the Senate President, after Senator Dino Melaye had spoken and berated some Senate colleagues over their perceived roles in the judicial case involving the Senate leadership.
“Although I remained silent and attempted no interjection during his statement, Senator Dino Melaye tried to abridge my right 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 other Senators were there with 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 attack me.
“The attack was only prevented by some respectful Senators who moved to impede his path or otherwise block him from approaching closer towards 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. Denigrating me as a woman, Senator Melaye threatened to beat me on the floor of the Senate just because I dared to express my opinion different from his.
“I am both a ranking Senator and a woman. But Senator Melaye took neither into consideration as he issued threats of rape and assault, while boasting he would face no consequence even if he fulfilled these criminal threats,”
The Lagos Senator who noted that she belonged to the same party like Melaye added that the failure of the leadership of the upper chamber meant it is condoning the errant behavior of the Senator.
She therefore appealed to leadership of APC leadership to investigate the altercations between her and Senator Melaye in order to restore the public image and moral standing of the Party.
“We must start by ensuring our own members know how to behave, according decorum, befitting their elected positions,” said Tinubu who added that the behavior of the Kogi Senator has placed APC in “disrepute and undermines the unity needed to accomplish the sober task to reform Nigeria for the better.”
Melaye had defended himself with claims that Senator Tinubu called him a dog before he responded during the executive session.
While he agreed that he verbally assaulted the Lagos Senator, he denied allegations that he threatened to rape or put her in a family way as was reported in the media.
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DID YOU FIRST CALL HIM A THUG AND A DOG? DON'T PLAY SEXIST IF INDEED YOU WERE THE ONE THAT FIRST INSULTED HIM,HE IS A SENATOR AND HUMAN BEING TOO.
Senator Remi Tinubu should seek redress in court if truly Dino threatened to "rape" her in front of numerous Senators. How come other senators have not corroborated her story? Why's she hopping around seeking sympathy when the law can be applied. The Senate chambers have cameras, she can supply that evidence to get a restraining order against Dino. Methinks Senator Remi Tinubu is just a pawn to irk Dino for supporting Saraki. Shikena!