ABUJA – 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.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has set off a political firestorm with a scathing, irony-laced letter directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in which she mockingly “apologizes” for what she calls the “grievous crime” of maintaining her dignity and self-respect in his presence.
In a tone thick with sarcasm, Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted what she views as entrenched sexism within Nigeria’s political system. “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,” she wrote. She went further, condemning the expectation that women must trade compliance for career advancement, quipping: “I mistakenly believed that my seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.”
The letter, which has since gone viral, followed months of tension between the Kogi lawmaker and Senate leadership. It read, in part:
“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 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.”
Though Akpabio later released a statement insisting no offense was intended and affirming his respect for women, the matter escalated. In February 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan formally accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, citing inappropriate remarks and advances. Her petition to the Senate leadership was dismissed on procedural grounds.
Soon after, the Senate controversially suspended her for six months over what was described as unrelated misconduct — a move many Nigerians viewed as retaliatory. The suspension sparked widespread protests under the hashtag #WeAreAllNatasha, with women’s rights organizations and civic groups rallying behind her and denouncing the broader culture of gender discrimination in Nigerian governance.
While groups like the Kogi Patriotic Consultative Assembly urged her to reconcile and move on, many Nigerians praised her defiance, seeing her as a powerful symbol of resistance in the face of institutional injustice.
Senate President Akpabio has since denied all allegations, calling them “baseless” and “malicious,” and has threatened legal action against Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation.
Their feud dates back to July 2024, when Akpabio publicly rebuked her during a Senate session with the remark: “We are not in a nightclub” — a comment widely condemned as sexist and inappropriate.
As the controversy unfolds, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s bold letter and unwavering stance have cast a spotlight on deep-rooted gender dynamics in Nigerian politics — and sparked a movement far larger than a single Senate seat.
