My problem with Oluremi Tinubu –Melaye

Tender apology or keep off from South-West, Lagos APC tells Kogi senator
Senator Dino Melaye has opened up on what transpired during the Executive Session of the Senate on Tuesday.
Melaye told Senate Correspondents, after yesterday’s plenary, that he was misrepresented in the media. He claimed there was no time he threatened
to beat up Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
He, however, admitted, saying insulting her, saying there was exchange of verbal abuse.
Since the news broke, Melaye has been under severe attacks from Nigerians, who described the alleged action as crude and a threat to democracy, which should not be tolerated.
Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial district said: “On Tuesday, July 12, we had an executive session to discuss basically the issue of forgery case in court and I stood up to address the house. I have never been a coward and I will not start an apprenticeship programme now, on how to become a coward. Whatever I say anywhere, I can boldly repeat everywhere. When I stood up and I made my submissions that day, all I did was to pacify my colleagues and asked that the case in court be withdrawn because, already, there was a resolution that the rules of the senate were not forged.
“I said since there was a Senate resolution, that the rules were not forged, all those who had gone to court should go and withdraw their names from court and that at the end of the day those who refused to withdraw their names from court, we should penalise them by suspending them. I said that.
“I did not use any insolent, abusive, degrading or mannerless language. So, there was no reaction from any of our colleagues as regards my presentation. After I spoke, so many other senators spoke and I did not mention the name of any senator when I made my presentation. Unfortunately, Senator Tinubu got up and was recognised to speak.
“She, specifically, mentioned my name and said she was being harrassed in the chamber by Senator Melaye. I kept quiet at that point. She went ahead to ask why would I be threatening senators.
“At that point, I was still very calm. She got up again and said, ‘this thug must be tamed.’ At that point, I got up and told her that she was very stupid. The next statement from her was ‘you are a dog.’ When she called me ‘a dog,’ I stood up and reacted.
“I told her that we were not in Bourdillon and that she should look at my face, that I am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them at Bourdillon…”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West has told Melaye to apologise to Senator Tinubu, the entire Tinubu family, womanhood and the APC in the South-West publicly. APC’s zonal National Secretary (South-West), Mr. Ayo Afolabi, who made the demand in a statement in Ibadan, also invited women society organisations to consider the issue as a fight against the denigration of Nigerian women.
Afolabi urged the national leadership of the party, “to call Melaye to order,” or risk a ban from coming to the region.
The youth leader, Femi Egbedeyi, said Melaye has “escaped judgment so far despite his well documented history of notoriety for violent conduct both in public and private affairs.
“He now lives in fool’s paradise with the mindset of being a law unto himself. But, he has forgotten that anyone who climbs the tree beyond the branches will kiss the soil.”

By Fred Itua, Abuja and Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

source: Sun News