Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Sunday issued a sarcastic letter of “apology” to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, reigniting tensions over her earlier allegations of sexual harassment.
The embattled senator, who was suspended from the National Assembly on March 6, penned a scathing, satirical note in response to her ongoing feud with Akpabio. The letter was made public just two days after Akpabio led a Federal Government delegation to the Vatican for the funeral of the late Pope Francis.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s conflict with Senate leadership began over a controversial change in seating arrangements, which she alleged was aimed at sidelining her. The situation escalated when she accused Akpabio on national television of orchestrating punitive measures against her after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances.
Speaking at the Women in Parliament session during the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the senator called for international scrutiny of Nigeria’s Senate, criticising her six-month suspension, security withdrawal, and salary cuts.
Following the public fallout, a court order barred both Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio from further media commentary on the matter until legal proceedings conclude.
Despite the gag order, the Kogi senator’s latest move—an openly derisive “apology”—appears to challenge the Senate President again.
In the letter, Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote:
“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.”
She continued with biting sarcasm, accusing Akpabio of expecting personal compliance as a condition for legislative success, stating:
“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.”
In a fiery conclusion, she said:
“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.”
Signing off, Akpoti-Uduaghan described herself as “Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken.”
Neither Akpabio nor his office has issued an official response to the senator’s latest letter as of the time of filing this report.
