Melaye vs. Tinubu: Why APC is silent — Source

John Alechenu

The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress has refrained from making a public comment over the verbal altercation between Senators Dino Melaye and Oluremi Tinubu because a formal complaint is yet to be made, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

It was gathered in Abuja, on Saturday, that the national secretariat did not want to be seen as taking sides hence the decision to adopt “a wait and see attitude.”

A member of the party’s National Working Committee  who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, “It will amount to crying more than the bereaved for the party to dabble into a matter that is yet to be brought before it.”

The party source said from the information available to him, what transpired on the floor of either the Senate or the House of Representatives – especially during executive sessions, is covered by legislative immunity.

He said, “There are procedures for dealing with issues of indiscipline which acts such as what allegedly transpired between the two distinguished senators could fall under.

“First, there has to be a formal complaint which will be sent to the disciplinary committee to look into.

“The committee will investigate and also invite the person who is accused of committing an offence. It is after we have heard from both the petitioner and the respondent and a guilty verdict is entered; that a recommendation for disciplinary action can be made to the relevant authorities.

“All these procedures have to be followed before any action can be taken.”

He further said, “As of today, to the best of my knowledge, there has not been any petition before the party.”

Attempts to get official comments from the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, who act as spokesmen for the party were futile.

Calls to their mobile telephone numbers were neither picked nor returned. A response to the text messages sent was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.