A fresh controversy has been ignited following the decision of the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a satirical apology to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State at the Senate, in the letter, satirically criticised what she described as systemic sexism and entitlement in the Nigerian Senate.
It was gathered that Akpoti-Uduaghan issued the satirical apology in line with what is required of her to return to the Senate.
Recall that following the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate leadership announced that she would need to issue a public apology before her suspension could be lifted.
However, in what appears to be a sharp-witted move, the suspended lawmaker’s apology letter was laced with sarcasm.
Rather than backtrack, Akpoti-Uduaghan chose another approach, crafting a satirical apology letter that criticised the Senate leadership while maintaining her stance.
In her satirical apology letter, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she is pretending to apologise for keeping her dignity and self-respect when dealing with the Senate President.
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 not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind.
“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 the unwritten laws of certain men’s entitlement. Truly, I must apologize for prioritizing competence over capitulation, vision over vanity, and the people’s mandate over private dinners behind closed doors.
“I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their postcodes. For this disruption to the natural order of “quid pro quo,” I bow my head in fictional shame.
“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 Akpoti Uduaghan Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken.”
Meanwhile, the Senate nor Akpabio have yet to react following the decision of Akpoti-Uduaghan to issue a satirical apology letter.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the satirical apology letter is the latest saga between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio.
The roots of this conflict could be traced back to July 2024, when Akpabio publicly rebuked Akpoti-Uduaghan during a plenary session, stating, “We are not in a nightclub,” after she attempted to speak without recognition.
The comment, widely criticized as sexist, prompted a public apology from Akpabio following backlash.
However, tensions escalated in February 2025 when Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, alleging inappropriate advances during a 2023 visit to his residence and subsequent comments implying she needed to “take care” of him to advance her motions.
Her petition to the Senate was dismissed on procedural grounds, and she was suspended for “unruly and disruptive” behaviour, a move many believe was retaliatory.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 following a heated disagreement with the Senate leadership.
During the Women in Parliament session at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting at the United Nations in New York, Akpoti-Uduaghan called for international intervention to hold the Nigerian Senate accountable.
She also criticised the severe measures imposed on her, including the withdrawal of security, salary cuts, and a six-month suspension from the National Assembly.
