Women, numbering 50, yesterday stormed the National Assembly to protest the altercation between Senators Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) and Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central).
Both federal lawmakers had engaged in a hot verbal exchange during a closed-door session penultimate Tuesday where Melaye reportedly threatened to beat up the wife of the former Lagos State governor and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The protesters wore T-shirts bearing different inscriptions like “ No to impunity for gender-based violence”, “Stop violence against women” and brandished placards that read, “ Support Gender Equality Opportunity Bill”, “A Senator is a Senator, women are not threat object”, Senate Ieadership’s silence in the face of violence against women is conspiracy”, “Say no to impunity” among others.
Addressing reporters, their leader, Mrs. Kemi Nelson, urged the leadership of the Senate to sanction Melaye.
“This is impunity and it has to stop. We must be accorded our rights,” she stated.
The Kogi legislator, had while addressing newsmen recently, insisted that he only reacted to Mrs. Tinubu’s outburst.
Tinubu, on her part, has written the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, alleging threat to her life.