Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has publicly apologized to former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, after a tense exchange between Ezekwesili and Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi during a Senate Ethics Committee hearing.
The confrontation occurred while Ezekwesili was speaking in defense of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she has accused of sexual harassment. However, Nwaebonyi, serving as a witness for Akpabio, repeatedly interrupted Ezekwesili, prompting her to respond: “Please, will you shut up?”;
This remark infuriated Nwaebonyi, who fired back: “You’re a fool. What do you mean? Why are you talking to me like that? I will not take it. You’re an insult to womanhood. People like you cannot be here.”;
Following the incident, Akpoti-Uduaghan took to social media to commend Ezekwesili, writing: “Ma’am, I apologise for the insults. Know you took them for me... for us... as a mother and as a leader. Know that you are a true icon of integrity, courage, and visionary leadership.”;
Ezekwesili responded with gratitude but emphasized the broader fight for justice: “Yet to me, a torrent of insults from any source is but a little price to pay in our resolve to see a Nigerian that becomes. An unjust society that silences women and vulnerable people can never Become.”;
Despite the intense exchanges, the Senate dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Akpabio, citing ongoing litigations in court as the reason for the decision.
