Suspended Kogi State lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has reignited controversy in the National Assembly after issuing a sharply satirical apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a letter that lays bare tensions over gender dynamics and power struggles within the legislature.
In a letter laced with biting sarcasm, Akpoti-Uduaghan “apologised” for what she described as the “grave offense” of maintaining her dignity and independence before the Senate President.
Mocking expectations of submission, she wrote: “How negligent of me not to realize that refusing to indulge your… ‘requests’ was not merely a personal choice but apparently a constitutional breach against certain men’s sense of entitlement.”
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Taking direct aim at systemic sexism, she continued: “Please find it within your magnanimous heart somewhere buried deep beneath layers of privilege to forgive this obstinate woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was secured through elections, not erections.”
Her fiery letter has further fueled public debate about sexism, abuse of power, and the role of women in Nigeria’s political arena.
The letter read in part: “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 recognize that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently 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 own 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.”
