The suspended Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), has sparked fresh debate over gender dynamics in Nigeria’s legislature with a biting and satirical “apology” to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The apology, laced with irony, comes amid a turbulent relationship between the two, further intensifying discussions on sexism and power struggles in Nigerian politics.
In the ‘apology’ letter dripping with sarcasm, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan mocked the Senate President, offering a theatrical apology for what she described as the “grievous crime” of maintaining dignity and self-respect in his presence.
In her message, she turned the tables on the expectations of compliance in Nigerian politics, 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.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s letter also addressed systemic sexism within the political system, with pointed remarks about gender inequality in Nigerian governance.
“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,” she wrote.
The full text of the letter read:
“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.”
The tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio have been building since July 2024, when Akpabio publicly reprimanded her for attempting to speak without official recognition during a plenary session.
His remark — “We are not in a nightclub” — was widely condemned as sexist, sparking public outcry and demands for an apology. Although Akpabio later issued a statement claiming no harm was intended and reaffirming his respect for women, the relationship between the two remained strained.
In February 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, citing inappropriate comments and advances. Although her petition to the Senate leadership was dismissed on procedural grounds, her claims added fuel to the fire of their ongoing feud.
Shortly after, the Senate suspended her for six months over unrelated conduct, a move widely perceived as retaliation and an attempt to silence her. This suspension led to widespread protests under the slogan “We are all Natasha,” with women’s rights groups and activists rallying in her defence against systemic gender-based discrimination.
While some organisations, like the Kogi Patriotic Consultative Assembly, have called for Akpoti-Uduaghan to apologise and move on, her supporters celebrate her as a symbol of resistance to entrenched gender biases in Nigerian politics. Many view her stance as a bold challenge to the political establishment and the patriarchal structures that dominate it.
On his part, Akpabio has denied all allegations, calling Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims “baseless” and “malicious.” He has also threatened legal action for defamation and character assassination.
