It was weeping galore on Monday for the senator representing Ondo Central district, Dr Ayo Akinyelure.
He wept before his constituents over his voting in the Upper Chamber in favour of girl-child marriage during the amendment process to the 1999 Constitution.
Akinyelure is the only senator from the South-West who voted in favour of the amendment which has received condemnations from rights groups.
While weeping, the senator, who was summoned by Labour Party (LP) members and women, told them that he voted ‘in error’.
The crowd included women leaders from Ondo East, Ondo West, Akure South, Akure North, Ifedore and Idanre local governments.
Also present were Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) and political leaders from the district.
Some women leaders who spoke at the event included Mrs Bunmi Fadoju, Ronke Ogunrinde, Ade Ajiboye and Kikeloko Adenike
Before the commencement of the meeting, there was protest at Adegbemile Hall, venue of the event as some women groups and pro-democracy activists condemned Akinyelure and other senators who voted in favour of the controversial amendment.
They condemned the senator for voting in favour of the child marriage, insisting that the amendment, if passed into law, would affect the future of children.
The women said senators should help them pay their children school fees instead of giving their hands in marriage.
Akinyelure, who prostrated severally during his speech, said he wanted to press ‘yes’ but mistakenly pressed ‘no’ during the electronic voting in favour or otherwise of the amendment.
He said: “What the Senate was considering was renunciation of citizenship under the Constitution contained in Section 29 (4b) which provides that ‘any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age’.
“It is worthy of note that full age has been defined in Section 29 (4a) to mean the age of 18 and above. The question before the Senate for determination, therefore, was whether the clause, which provides that a married woman is deemed to be full of age to renounce her citizenship of Federal Republic of Nigeria, should be retained or be deleted.
“The question before the Senate for which I voted in favour was that whether a married woman is deemed to be full age to renounce her citizenship and not whether a woman can marry before attaining the age of 18 years?
“This is quite different from voting in favour of under age marriage as widely reported in the media to blackmail Senators of Federal Republic of Nigeria who believe in the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as a nation and to avoid possible religious crises and security challenges that may likely result from deleting this clause in question from the
Constitution, hence I voted for the clause to remain.”
Majority Leader in the House of Assembly, Mr Dayo Akinsoyinu and Deputy Chairman of LP in the state, Chief Dele Akinyele, urged the constituents to forgive him.
