Dino
Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West yesterday gave reasons why he
lambasted Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central).
Melaye
alleged that Sen. Tinubu called him “a thug and dog”.
Melaye
allegedly threatened to beat up Sen. Tinubu during Senate executive session on
Tuesday.
He
told reporters at the National Assembly that he was forced to state his own
side of the story due to “misinformation in public sphere” about what
transpired between him and Sen. Tinubu at the closed door session.
He
noted that the behind-the-door session was created to deliberate on the forgery
case against Senate President Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu
and two others.
Melaye
said that he was only given the floor to pacify his colleagues who he said had
initiated forgery suits to withdraw their suits.
He
claimed that when he made his submissions, he did not use any indecent words,
neither did he mention anybody’s name.
Melaye
claimed that Sen. Tinubu stood up and said that she was being harassed by him.
He
claimed that he restrained himself but lost his patience when Sen. Tinubu
described him as a “dog” and “thug” who must be “tamed”.
He
said that it was at that point that he sprang up and told Sen. Tinubu:
“you are stupid”.
Melaye
said that the issue of impeachment was never discussed during the session.
He
said that some unnamed persons who wanted to score cheap political points built
impeachment into what happened.
Melaye
said: “When I stood up and I made my submissions that day in the Senate, all I
did was to pacify my colleagues and asked that the case in court be withdrawn
because already there is a resolution of the Senate that the rules of the
Senate were not forged and since there was a resolution of the Senate that the
rules of the Senate were not forged, then, I said, all those who have gone to
court should go and withdraw their names from court and that if at the end of
the day those who refused to withdraw their names from the court we should
penalise them by suspending them. I said that.
“But
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
senators while I was making my presentation. Unfortunately Senator Oluremi
Tinubu got up and was recognised to speak and immediately she started speaking
she specifically mentioned my name even when in my presentation I did not
mention anybody’s names.
“I
only appealed to the sensitivity of my colleagues and asked them to withdraw
their case from court and reminded them that already that there was a
resolution of the senate that the rules were not forged.
“But
because of reasons only known to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, she got up the first
thing she said that she’s being harassed in this chamber by Senator Melaye.
“I
kept quiet at that point. She went ahead to say that why will Senator Melaye
come here and be threatening senators.
“There
was a large chorus from senators how, when, where, senators reacted. At that
point I was still very calm.
“She
got up again and said that this thug must be tamed. At that point, I got up and
I told her that she is very stupid.
“The
next statement from her is that you are a dog. She called me a dog and when she
called me a dog I stood up and I reacted and I told her that this is not
Bourdillon and that she should look at my face.
“I
am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them in
Bourdillon. And I told her I am from Kogi State, I am not from Lagos State and
that there would never be a day that I will come to you for political
assistance. These were my words and she went on shouting dog, thug.”
Tags
Politics