Oluremi Tinubu seeks police protection over face-off with Melaye

Group alleges plan for protest against Kogi senator

Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central) yesterday wrote the Acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, requesting additional security against what she called possible onslaught from Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West)

The two law makers had last Tuesday, exchanged words over the issue of the trial of the Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing rules.

Meanwhile, a civil rights group, Committee for the Defence of Women’s Rights, (CDWR), yesterday, alleged that plans have been concluded with N75 million to sponsor protests against the Kogi senator tomorrow in Abuja.

In a letter to Idris, Tinubu drew attention to how Melaye had verbally attacked her at that executive session, saying but for the intervention of other senators, Melaye might have physically assaulted her.

“Therefore, I am compelled to urge you to use your good offices to provide me with adequate security,” she said.But at a press conference last Thursday, Melaye had denied using any obscene and vulgar language against Tinubu, insisting that it was she who first allegedly called him unprintable names.

He traced the cause of the face off to his submission at the executive session to the effect that Senators behind the petition to the police regarding the alleged forgery case should withdraw their petitions and suit from court.

The group, in a statement in Abuja, through its National President, Prof. Taibat Majekodunmi, alleged that the protesters have booked for 300 rooms in some hotels in Abuja.

“Why did she not organise a protest against the hardship of Nigerian women and widows? As we speak, Alade market in Ogba , Lagos has been destroyed . She did not organise protest about that.

“Women were killed in Kano and Abuja and she is the chairman of a committee on Women Affairs. She did not organise protest over these killings. She has not protested against the skyrocketed price of tomatoes in the market. In the same vein, kerosine is now over N200 per litre and she didn’t organised any protest to that effect.

“Instead, she has taken advantage of the prevailing poverty in the land to hire hungry women to partake in an unproductive protest against Dino Melaye. Women like Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Hajiya Gambosa Sawaba, Sarah Jubril, fought for women without attacking any man. She should emulate the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandhi, Benazir Bhutto and our own dear Dora Akunyili.You can imagine what N75 million will do to the lives of widows and hungry Nigerian women.”