APC Women Call For Santions On Melaye Over Verbal Assault On Senator Tinubu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, July 16th, 2016

By Akin Soneyin

OSUN, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Senator Dino Melaye alleged verbal assault on his Lagos colleague, Oluremi Tinubu has continued to draw reactions, as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Women wing has condemned the action and called for stiff punishments against the Kogi Lawmaker.

The Osun chapter of the group in a press statement signed by its Leader Alhaja Kudirat Bolanle Fakokunde and Coordinator Female Aspirant Mrs Taiwo Oluga, the APC women declared that Senator Melaye’s attack on Mrs Tinubu was a disgrace to the Senate and a “tar on the image of Nigeria women as it portrays women as mere object of sexual pleasure and an anatomical symbol”.

Consequently, they demanded that a public apology be tendered not only to Senator Tinubu, but to all Nigerian women by Senator Melaye and the Senate President Bukola Saraki who they said allegedly allowed the attack on the Nigerian Women to pass without sanctioning the alleged culprit.

“In the least, Dino Melaye must be suspended forthwith preparatory to his expulsion. A criminal indictment and prosecution on this matter must follow immediately” the group recommended.

The APC women restated “It is lamentable that a Senator could reduce our Senate to a platform of abuse, physical and verbal assault, sexual harassment of a woman and consequently against the people whose interests he ought to protect.

“Senator Melaye’s attack and threat to beat up Senator Tinubu and impregnate her, were uncouth, indecent, demeaning, humiliating, sexist and criminal. It is a clear violation of the law which the same Senate passed in 2015, to protect our people”.

They cited according to the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Act of 2015, it was so clear that no woman and decent people would allow the heresy of Senator Dino Melaye to go unchallenged.

Similarly, they quoted sections 4, 5, 14, 18 of the acts on verbal abuse and sexual threats were considered as attacks which must be prevented against any Nigerian, especially women, while in section 14, the law states, “a person who causes emotional, verbal and psychological abuse on another commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment”

Despite that the alleged attack was on Senator Tinubu, the Osun APC women stated it considered Melaye’s action as a “collective attack on women in Nigeria”.