The member representing Ondo Central
Senatorial District at the National Assembly,
Senator Ayo Akinyelure, wept before members
of his constituency in Akure on Monday as he
apologised to them that he voted in error to
support the senate resolution backing
marriage of underage girls.
Akinyelure was summoned by his constituents
to explain his role in the controversial passage
of a resolution to retain the provision of
Section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution,
which states that a married underage girl is
deemed to be an adult.
Politicians, women groups and students had
besieged the Adegbemile Hall, venue of the
meeting, with placards to protest against what they
described as the legalisation of sexual abuse of
young girls, which their representative had
supported.
But Akinyelure burst into tears as he laboured to
convince the obviously enraged crowd at the
tension-soaked session that he mistakenly pressed
the wrong button during the electronic voting
exercise thinking that he was voting against child
marriage.
The Senator said he had aligned his thought with
that of other senators, who supported the resolution
that the provision should be expunged from the
constitution.
He added that the resolution was paraphrased
again in a way that confused him to mean that
pressing the 'No' button would mean voting against
the resolution that the resolution should be retained
in the constitution.
He said, "I am very sorry for this costly mistake. I
actually voted in error. I pressed the 'No' button
during the electronic voting session, thinking that I
was kicking against the early marriage. I can never
support such barbaric and wicked bill."

Make una dey deny one by one.

His explanation looks sincere to me, but I honestly think there should a way of reversing a wrong vote.