Nigeria, July 15, 2016 – A socio-political organisation of All Progressives Congress (APC) youths on Friday condemned the attack and alleged blackmail carried out on the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Otunba Dino Melaye by fellow senator, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, describing it as reckless.
Senator Remi Tinubu had accused Melaye of using derogatory words on her such as threatening to beat and impregnate her. Dino had denied ever using any insolent abusive degrading or mannerless language.
The organisation, under the aegis of Youth Alliance for Change (YAC) from the North Central zone, said the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should be cautioned and called to order “before he plunges the party into a major crisis”, for what it called “the sustained attack on the leadership of the Senate over his failure to install his stooges on the leadership of the National Assembly.”
According to them, the Senate belongs to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and “not an extension of Tinubu’s political empire.”
The youths said the “gutter language” used by Mrs. Tinubu on Melaye, representing Kogi West during arguments on continued victimisation of Senate leadership by forces opposed to the emergence of Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President, were unwarranted.
The position of YAC was contained in a communique issued and signed by its Director of Public Communication, Mr. Malls Idris Sanni, after its emergency meeting. The group which called on the leadership of the Senate to “sanction Remi Tinubu for her unguarded vituperation against the Jarma of Okuta and the Senior Advocate of the Masses of Nigeria (SAM)” said the actions of Senator Mrs. Tinubu from Lagos smacks of “arrogance, political vendetta and betrayal of Senate unity against external influence”.
“We have watched with interest, how Senator Remi Tinubu has failed to recover from the humiliation of his husband, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the election of principal officers in the Senate. While her husband is fighting from outside the chambers through various courts, Remi Tinubu has continued to fight from inside.
“It is unfortunate that Remi Tinubu has not shown any respect toward the present leadership of the Senate just because they are not his husband choices. The Senate belongs to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its people and not an extension of Tinubu’s political empire. We know why Tinubu wants to control everywhere ahead of the 2019 general elections. He can put his wife, daughter and in-laws on the ballots in Lagos. He should know Nigeria is bigger than Lagos”, the youths said.
YAC expressed profound support for Senator Dino Melaye, whom, it described as “a sterling example of youth representation in governance and symbol of democracy, quality representation and legislative excellence via Independence.”
According to Sanni, the leadership of the APC should protect the victory of the party by promoting genuine change, equity and justice, saying the party is bigger than the selfishness of some leaders who are plunging the party into chaos for failing to actualise their aim of controlling every institution in Nigeria.
The group also called on all democrats in the country to remain vigilant in protecting the “hard-earned democracy procured with the blood and sweat of democracy martyrs”.
“Senator Dino Melaye is an institution in Nigeria. He is followed by millions of youths across the country for his heroics in exposing high profile corrupt cases. As an activist, he has fought relentlessly to reverse obnoxious policies that were clearly against the interest of the masses. He is a role model and a jewel to the party. We are solidly behind him because we believe he is fighting on the side of justice”, Sanni emphasised.
