The Senator representing Lagos Central at the National Assembly, Remi Tinubu, has petitioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senate over her clash, with Dino Melaye, who represents Kogi West.
Tinubu and Melaye, both members of the ruling APC, clashed during a Senate closed-door session on Tuesday, July 2.
The petition followed an earlier letter to the acting Inspector of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in which she asked for “adequate security” for fear Melaye might harm her.
In letters, separately delivered to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, on Tuesday, Tinubu expressed worry that the Senate leadership had not taken action to address Melaye’s “threatening misconduct”.
The content of the letters is similar to the one addressed acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Monday, requesting for police protection.
This time, she added that Melaye did threaten to rape her.
“I was duly recognised 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,” she wrote in the letter to Oyegun.
“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 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 wife of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu narrated.
She expressed regret that she and Melaye belong to the same party, and that the silence of the Senate leadership suggested “condoning the errant behaviour of the Senator”.
She asked the APC leadership to “investigate this matter in order to restore the public image and moral standing of the Party and APC members in the Senate”.
In the letter to Saraki, Tinubu said during the session “over which you presided as the Senate President”, Melaye used “blatantly 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”.
She said she had refrained from public comments in view of the Senate’s integrity, but complained that Melaye “has become unmoored and has since paraded his misconduct in public as if to threaten a Female Senator is a badge of pride”.
Melaye, on Saturday loitered around Bourdillon Road in Lagos and then posted photographs of his adventure on social media, daring Tinubu who lives in the neighbourhood to challenge him.
He addressed a press conference last week during which he confessed to clashing with his female colleague after she allegedly called him a thug and a dog.
While taunting Tinubu that she had reached menopause, the unrepentant Melaye denied using indecorous words at her.
