Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, July 23, publicly apologised to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over his comment last week about the Senate not being a nightclub.
Akpabio had cautioned Natasha to always seek recognition from him as presiding officer before standing up to make any contribution saying the Senate is not a “nightclub.”
This followed Natasha’s interjection during a debate on the floor on Thursday last week without seeking due recognition from the chair before speaking in line with the Senate Standing Orders.
Akpabio had immediately faced a backlash of criticism over the comment with some saying he had no regard for women.
While relaying his experience of the fallout to senators on Tuesday, Akpabio said his wife called him, having received so many telephone calls, as some people even threatened that they should “occupy her.”
Akpabio, who insisted that his comments were misunderstood, especially by the social media, said as a father of daughters and a husband, he would not intentionally denigrate a woman, adding, “I meant no harm.”
He further remarked that no matter how he spoke, the social media would still likely find a way to take it out of context.
He said if he had said the Senate was not a village square, it would still have been interpreted to mean that he called Akpoti-Uduaghan a “village woman.”
Addressing Natasha, Akpabio said: “Distinguished Senator Natasha, I want to apologise to you, I thought that I should offer a personal apology to you.”
Having apologised to Akpoti-Uduaghan, he added, “She is a beautiful and lovely woman and I will not intentionally denigrate her.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan
Akpabio however remarked that the positive side of the experience was the proof that Nigerians paid very good attention to the proceedings of the Senate and the impact the lawmakers made on their lives.
Meanwhile following the incident, Natasha said she has been toughened as a result of a dangerous way of playing politics in Nigeria, saying she no longer cries when engaged in tough political battles.
Speaking at the ECOWAS Female Parliament Association spotlight initiative titled: “Rethinking Women’s Proportional Representation in Governance: Case Study of Nigeria” on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan, highlighted the high cost of politics in Nigeria, which puts women at a disadvantage as most men are more financially stable than women in Nigeria.
“Politics is extremely dangerous in Nigeria. In Nigeria, you can’t be gentle as a woman. I honestly wish politics in Nigeria would not be so tough because when a woman who is born to nurture becomes too tough, it’s not good.
“I am so tough now that I rarely cry except maybe something totally touches my heart that I pushed myself. That is what violence teaches you, so I have to constantly tell myself, do not let your experiences change you because I don’t want to be like those who attacked me,” she said.
