Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Sunday issued a sharply worded and satirical letter of apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following a controversial sexual harassment allegation she made against him.
Though framed as an “unreserved apology,” the letter, laced with biting sarcasm, was widely interpreted as a pointed critique rather than a genuine expression of remorse. It comes while Akpabio is in Rome, having led a Federal Government delegation to attend the funeral of the late Pope Francis.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025, after a dispute with Senate leadership over a new seating arrangement, which she claimed was intended to marginalise her. The situation escalated when she accused Akpabio on national television of retaliating against her for allegedly rejecting his sexual advances.
While representing Nigeria at the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Women in Parliament session at the United Nations in New York, Akpoti-Uduaghan called for international scrutiny of the Nigerian Senate, citing what she described as punitive and gender-biased treatment. She highlighted measures imposed on her, including the withdrawal of official security, salary suspension, and a six-month legislative ban.
The conflict eventually moved to the courts, which issued a gag order, restraining both parties from speaking to the media pending legal resolution.
Nevertheless, Akpoti-Uduaghan broke her silence on Sunday, April 27, by releasing a satirical open letter addressed to Akpabio. The letter, filled with irony, ridicules what she portrays as a culture of patriarchal entitlement within the Senate.
An excerpt from the letter reads: “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 recognise that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind.
“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 letter, which has gone viral on social media, has further polarized public opinion, with some hailing her courage and others questioning the tone amid ongoing legal proceedings.
Neither Akpabio nor the Senate leadership has responded publicly to the letter at the time of this report.
