Ruth Semilore
The suspended Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), has issued a sarcastic and satirical apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, reigniting discussions about gender dynamics and power struggles within Nigeria’s legislative chambers.
In a letter dripping with biting irony, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan offered what could be described as a profuse “apology” for the “grievous crime” of maintaining dignity and self-respect in the Senate President’s presence.
Mockingly, she referenced expectations of compliance, writing: “How remiss of me not to understand that my refusal to indulge your… ‘requests’ was not merely a personal choice but a constitutional violation of certain men’s entitlement.”
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Addressing systemic sexism, she continued: “Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.”
The letter read in part:
“Dear Distinguished Senate President Godswill Akpabio,
It is with the deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret that I tender this apology for the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect in your most exalted presence. I have reflected extensively on my unforgivable failure to recognize that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind.
How remiss of me not to understand that my refusal to indulge your… ‘requests’ was not merely a personal choice but a constitutional violation of the unwritten laws of certain men’s entitlement. Truly, I must apologize for prioritizing competence over capitulation, vision over vanity, and the people’s mandate over private dinners behind closed doors.
I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their own postcodes. For this disruption to the natural order of ‘quid pro quo,’ I bow my head in fictional shame.
Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.I remain,
Yours in eternal resistance,
Senator Natasha H. Akpoti-Uduaghan
Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken.”
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The tense relationship between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio first surfaced publicly in July 2024 when, during a plenary session, Akpabio rebuked her attempt to speak without official recognition, remarking, “We are not in a nightclub.”
The comment was widely condemned as sexist, sparking public outrage and demands for an apology.
Though Akpabio later issued a statement claiming no harm was intended and affirming his respect for women, tensions deepened.
In February 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan formally accused him of sexual harassment, citing inappropriate comments and advances. Her petition to Senate leadership was dismissed on procedural grounds.
The Senate later suspended her for six months over unrelated conduct, a move many Nigerians perceived as retaliatory and an attempt to silence her. The suspension triggered nationwide protests under the slogan “We are all Natasha,” with women’s rights groups and activists rallying in her defense and denouncing systemic gender-based discrimination in Nigerian politics.
While groups like the Kogi Patriotic Consultative Assembly urged her to apologize and move on, many Nigerians hailed her defiant stance, celebrating her as a symbol of resistance against entrenched biases.
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For his part, Akpabio has denied all allegations, describing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims as “baseless” and “malicious,” and has threatened legal action for defamation and character assassination.
As the controversy unfolds, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s bold letter appears to have solidified her standing as a fearless voice challenging the status quo in Nigeria’s political landscape.
