Under age marriage: I voted in error – Ondo senator

Senator Ayo Akinyelure, representing Ondo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, on Monday in Akure wept publicly, saying he voted in error for under age marriage.
Akinyelure, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Petitions, was one of the senators who reportedly voted for the removal of Section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The section states that a girl must be 18 years of age before marriage.
The lawmaker, however, told members of the Labour Party in the state that he failed to understand the issue and that his vote was a misrepresentation on his part.
According to the senator, there is no way he could have voted in support of child marriage because “it is against our culture and customs”.
“What the Senate considered for determination under the review of Nigerian Constitution was renunciation of citizenship under the Nigerian Constitution contained under Section 29 (4b),” he said.
He said this section 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 under Section 29 (4a) to mean the age of 18 years and above.
“Section 29 (1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that: ‘Any Citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for renunciation.’
“The question for which I voted in favour was that whether a married woman is deemed to be of full age to renounce her Nigerian 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 that believed in the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as a Nation.
“I submit this clarification to the whole Nigeria and the World at large that I, my people in Ondo Central and government of Ondo State did not support under age marriage in all ramifications.
“Therefore, my voting ‘NO’ was in clear error of misinterpretation and I had no opportunity to correct what is deemed to be my error now because voting was done electronically.
“If voting were to be done by show of hands, I would have been able to correct my error before the voting was concluded by the Senate.”
The senator, was the only lawmaker from the South West who voted in favour of child marriage.
He was summoned by leaders of his party in the state over his role in the matter.
Akinyelure promised that since the proposal will still pass through the 36 State Houses of Assembly and the House of Representatives, he would make sure it does not become part of the amendments.
Women leaders across the six Local government Areas in the Ondo Central senatorial district had disowned the lawmaker and asked him to renounce his position.
The women leaders, Ade Ajiboye from Akure North, Iyabo Ojo from Ifedore, Fadoju Bunmi from Ondo East, Bimbo Bakare from Ondo West, Kikelomo Adeniyi from Idanre, unanimously described the amendment on child marriage as inhuman.