Out of the blues, Sen. Dino Melaye and Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, wife of leader of All Progressives (APC) Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week Thursday, hit the headlines with lurid details of threats of assault which led to a flurry of unsavory events raising questions as to whether this could spell doom to the careers of the parties involved in this assault-threat saga, further compounding the integrity deficit of the Senate. TORDUE SALEM and MOHAMMED ISMAIL, report.
The Senate rose from an hour recess last week, with a trail of exchanges that have continued to heat the polity.
A horde of bloggers, pressure groups and journalists have weighed in on allegations that Sen. Dino Melaye threatened to attack, rape and impregnate Sen. Tinubu.
Spokesman of the APC Leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Sunday Dare, immediately reacted last week with a blast and warning to Mr. Melaye urging him to stay away from Lagos or get lynched.
Several female pressure groups have followed with protests in Lagos and Abuja, calling on the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to wade in and apply sanctions against Dino.
Not done, Mrs. Tinubu a few days ago went to the Police headquarters with a request for more security in other to ward off a possible assault from Sen. Dino Melaye.
Also, Senator Oluremi Tinubu on tuesday wrote the All Progressives Congress (APC) accusing Senator Dino Melaye of threatening to rape her.
The wife of the APC leader said this through a letter titled “The Improper Behaviour of Senator Dino Melaye” to the APC headquarters in Abuja, demanding sanctions against the Senator from Kogi State.
Her words: “I submit to the Chairman of the APC this formal complaint regarding the improper and harmful conduct of Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi State toward me which occurred at the Executive Session of the Senate on July 12, 2016. 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 t0 the Senate, this government and to our Party. For a Party member to so antagonize and hector 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”, she stated.
Mrs. Tinubu said she hoped the party will wield a big stick against her colleague. Who had repeatedly called the bluff of the Tinubu empire.
“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 behavior. 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 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 Ieadership”, she stated.
According to her, her male colleague would have pounced at her, if other senators did not quickly come to her rescue during the closed door session.
“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 fouI and vulgar language at me, what he said should never be heard in any public institution Iet alone the room of the Senate. Denigrating me as a woman. Senator Melaye threatened to beat me on the floor of the Senate simply because I dared to express an opinion different from his”, she narrated.
She added that “I am both a ranking Senator and a woman. But Senator 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 compeIled 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 behavior of the Senator.
“Through this Ietter, I offlcially 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 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 Iong. Only if we act against such excesses will the people truly believe we are committed to the reforms we have promised them. We must start by ensuring that our own members know how to behave, according the decorum befitting their elected positions”.
The party is yet to respond to Sen. Tinubu’s petition, but going by the overwhelming influence of Mrs. Tinubu’s husband in the party, the pendulum may swing against Mr. Melaye.
Melaye’s problems appear to be legion: Besides the untidy battle with the wife of a Leader of his party, his political alliances are offensive to the political establishment.
At his Kogi West senatorial district, he has a huge battle with a formidable Sen. Smart Adeyemi who is likely to even emerge a Minister in few weeks when President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to reshuffle his cabinet.
Mr. Adeyemi who lost elections to Mr. Melaye in 2015 because he was in the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the APC a few months ago, may be the APC candidate for Dion’s seat in 2016.
But Dino a great mobiliser and fighter, may as always, come up with a game plan to survive the onslaught.
Politics also being a dynamic game, could turn the tide against forces that appear to have an upper hand now.
The senator himself at a press briefing recently, dismissed threats that his political career may be endangered.
He said Tinubu is not God and could not decide his political fate.
Political observers were of the opinion that the spat between the two was an extension of the fight between Tinubu who is the husband of Remi Tinubu and Saraki who commands the unabashed loyalty of Melaye.
The whole drama which smacks of irresponsibility at the highest law making body will go a long way to convince even the most undiscerning Nigerian that the senate hallowed chambers have been turned to a big comedy arena, a development which has made the senate to yet set another inglorious record in its annals and for the umpteenth time made Nigeria a laughing stock before the committee of democratic nations.
