Suspended Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), has issued a scathing and satirical letter of apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, reigniting debates over gender dynamics and power struggles in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
In a letter laced with biting irony, Akpoti-Uduaghan tendered a mock “apology” for what she described as the “grievous crime” of maintaining dignity and self-respect in the Senate President’s presence.
“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, addressing systemic sexism in the legislature.
The senator 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.”
In the letter, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated:
> “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.”
“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.”
“I remain,
Yours in eternal resistance,
Senator Natasha H. Akpoti-Uduaghan
Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken.”
Tensions between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio first came to public attention in July 2024, when Akpabio rebuked her during a plenary session for attempting to speak without official recognition, quipping, “We are not in a nightclub.” The comment sparked widespread outrage, with critics condemning it as sexist.
Although Akpabio later issued a statement claiming no harm was intended and affirming his respect for women, the relationship between the two lawmakers deteriorated further. In February 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan formally accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, citing inappropriate comments and advances — an allegation Senate leadership dismissed on procedural grounds.
Subsequently, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over unrelated conduct charges, a move widely viewed as retaliatory. The suspension triggered national protests under the banner “We Are All Natasha,” with activists and women’s rights organizations rallying behind her and condemning systemic gender-based discrimination in Nigerian politics.
While groups such as the Kogi Patriotic Consultative Assembly urged her to apologize and seek reconciliation, many Nigerians celebrated her defiant stand, hailing her as a symbol of resistance against entrenched bias.
Akpabio, for his part, has denied all allegations, describing them as “baseless” and “malicious,” and has threatened legal action for defamation and character assassination.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s audacious letter appears to have further solidified her reputation as a fearless challenger of the political status quo.
