Abiola Akiode Afolabi, the lawyer representing Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan in her harassment case against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has spoken about a past harassment case involving the current First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Silverbird Television, Afolabi said years ago, when Senator Dino Melaye allegedly harassed Oluremi in the Senate, Oluremi felt helpless and unsure of what to do.
Afolabi said that at the time, she personally went to the National Assembly to protest against what had happened. She said she also had a conversation with Oluremi who told her that she was advised to report the incident to the Senate President. She said Oluremi further told her that when she went to the Senate President’s office to make her complaint, she found Dino Melaye and other senators there. Afolabi said this situation highlighted the lack of clear rules within the Senate for handling cases of sêxual harassment
In Afolabi’s words: “Years back when Dino Melaye also made some utterances against the current First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, she had nowhere to go. She did not know what to do, she could not lay a claim. I was in the national assembly at that time to protest against that conduct, and I had a conversation with her and she said they advised her to go and speak with the Senate President at that point in time. She said when went to the Senate President’s office to make that complain she met Dino Melaye and others. She told me that by herself. So there is no rule to deal with the issue of sêxual harassment”