Natasha vs. Akpabio: The Tragedy of Power, Gender Brutalization, and the Mockery of Nigeria’s Senate – Ola Olateju

                                                                                                                                      Special Issue, April 2025

The intimate union between a man and a woman is a natural imperative, divinely ordained from the very beginning, as exemplified by Adam and Eve. However, when this sacred act is manipulated as a means of securing favours or support, it ceases to be an expression of love and instead, becomes an instrument of exploitation—where the privileged party wields power over the vulnerable, reducing intimacy to an act of coercion rather than genuine affection. It is within this context that we examine the Natasha-Akpabio debacle, a scandal that exposes not just the deeply entrenched culture of gender exploitation in Nigerian politics but also the reckless abuse of power by those who should be its guardians.

Weaponising Power: The Natasha-Akpabio Sexual Allegations Debacle

Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s ongoing battle with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is nothing short of a political witch-hunt masked as legislative order. If the allegations of past sexual relations between them are true, it is utterly disgraceful that Akpabio, rather than focusing on governance and legislative leadership, has chosen to dig into his personal history with Natasha in an attempt to delegitimize her. Such behavior reinforces the deeply misogynistic structures in Nigerian politics where women who dare to challenge the status quo are brutalized, blackmailed, and humiliated (Okeke, 2021).

                           

Senator Godswill Akpabio
The Senate President

Akpabio, in failing to rise above personal grievances, has not only diminished his moral standing but has also cast a dark shadow over the office of the Senate President, turning it into a tool for vendettas rather than nation-building. The Nigerian Senate, once considered a place of robust debate and national discourse, is now being reduced to a stage for personal vendettas and political machinations. Studies on gendered political violence in Nigeria have consistently shown that female politicians face disproportionate harassment, intimidation, and character assassination compared to their male counterparts (Adeleke & Yusuf, 2020).

The idea that a Senate President would descend into petty, personal battles against a duly elected female Senator should alarm every right-thinking Nigerian. It is a tragic validation of how power is often used in Nigeria—not as a force for governance, but as a weapon of oppression, personal aggrandizement, and revenge. Akpabio should put shame aside and issue a public apology to Nigerian women for reinforcing the perception that women in politics are mere objects of pleasure, to be used and discarded at will. Anything short of this continues to cast a disturbing shadow over his tenure.

 The Frivolity of the Natasha Recall: A Childish Political Gambit

 Compounding this political absurdity is the recall agenda being orchestrated against Natasha, an agenda that reeks of sheer pettiness and desperation. Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, who left office under a cloud of corruption allegations, was fingered to have made it his mission to ensure that Natasha is politically neutralized. That this agenda is being guided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) raises further questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions (Ojo, 2022).

                                                 

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Recalling a sitting senator should be a process rooted in genuine democratic accountability, not the whims of political strongmen who view opposition as a crime. The entire recall process has been exposed as a shambolic, politically motivated circus aimed at suppressing an outspoken female senator rather than addressing any legitimate concerns of the electorate. For INEC to lend its hand to such a reckless and undemocratic maneuver diminishes public confidence in its ability to conduct credible elections (Oluwole, 2023).

 Even more damning is the claim that 250,000 people allegedly signed the recall register within a week—a figure that, upon closer scrutiny, appears fraudulent. The names submitted lacked verifiable addresses and telephone numbers, yet INEC astonishingly claimed that the petitioners have rectified these discrepancies within 24 hours (Nwankwo, 2024). Such an implausible turn of events underscores the growing perception that INEC is being manipulated to serve the interests of a few political godfathers rather than upholding democratic integrity.

 Declaration of Curfew: A Sign of Defeat Disguised as Governance

Perhaps the most blatant abuse of state power in this saga was the declaration of a curfew in Kogi Central Senatorial District—Natasha’s stronghold—to prevent her from addressing her numerous supporters and sympathizers. This desperate move is a clear sign of defeat, an attempt to use the instruments of government to cover up the resounding rejection of Natasha’s suspension from the Senate. By imposing a curfew, the state government not only suppressed her right to free speech but also silenced the people’s voice, preventing a legitimate democratic response to the Senate’s unjust decision (Eze, 2024).

History has shown that political curfews, when used as tools of suppression rather than security measures, tend to backfire. In this case, the curfew only reinforces the belief that Natasha’s suspension was not based on any legitimate legislative concern but rather on a coordinated effort to stifle a formidable political opponent. This is reminiscent of past authoritarian tactics where state power was deployed to silence opposition rather than serve the people (Agbaje, 2019).

The Deputy Chief Whip: A Diminished Office in a Diminished Senate

If the actions of Akpabio and Yahaya Bello have been disgraceful, then the contributions of the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate in this debacle are even more tragic. Instead of standing for the dignity and independence of the Senate, he has chosen the disgraceful path of bootlicking, becoming a mere pawn in Akpabio’s war against Natasha. Rather than upholding the values of fairness, justice, and legislative decorum, he has actively diminished the prestige of his office by engaging in petty, sycophantic politics (Ibrahim, 2023).

The best course of action for the Deputy Chief Whip is to embark on a voyage of wisdom-seeking, learning the true essence of statesmanship rather than debasing himself as a mere political errand boy. Silence, in this instance, would serve him better than continued actions that further erode the credibility of the Nigerian Senate. To be worthy of the eminent position of a senator, he must demonstrate political maturity, independent thinking, and a commitment to democratic principles rather than playing the role of an enabler in this deeply embarrassing episode.

A Senate in Crisis: Time to Restore Sanity

The Natasha-Akpabio crisis is more than just a personal feud—it is a litmus test for the credibility of Nigeria’s Senate and the future of women in politics. The brutalization of female politicians, whether through physical violence, blackmail, or political persecution, has no place in a democracy. This case should serve as a wake-up call for all Nigerians to demand accountability from their leaders and reject the toxic, vindictive politics that has defined the current Senate leadership (Okonjo, 2024).

Ultimately, Akpabio, as Senate President, must realize that leadership is about wisdom, restraint, and service to the nation—not about settling personal scores. If he cannot rise above petty grievances, then he has no business occupying one of the highest offices in the land. Nigeria’s democracy deserves better, and its women deserve far more respect than what this debacle has revealed.

Conclusion: A Senate at a Crossroads—Restoring Dignity or Embracing Infamy?

The Natasha-Akpabio saga is more than just a political skirmish; it is a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy. It lays bare the misogynistic underbelly of our political system, where powerful men see women not as equals in governance but as disposable instruments of pleasure and subjugation. It also exposes the deep institutional decay within the Nigerian Senate—an institution that should be a bastion of legislative independence, integrity, and national service but has instead been reduced to a playground for vendetta-driven politics.

The recall process against Natasha, facilitated by INEC’s questionable complicity, is nothing but a crude attempt to erase a formidable female voice from the Senate. The laughable claim that 250,000 signatories emerged within a week—without verifiable addresses or phone numbers—only highlights the extent of electoral fraudulence that continues to plague Nigeria’s democratic institutions. Even worse, the declaration of curfew in Kogi Central to suppress Natasha’s engagement with her supporters is a blatant abuse of state power, signaling a regime terrified of public backlash but desperate to silence dissent through coercion.

In all of this, Akpabio’s continued war against Natasha is not just disturbing; it is disgraceful. A Senate President ought to rise above personal grievances, but instead, Akpabio has chosen the path of political pettiness, diminishing the reputation of the office he holds and embarrassing the entire nation. If anything, this saga has confirmed that his leadership is defined not by legislative competence but by an obsession with power and personal vendettas. His attempt to use the Senate as a weapon against Natasha has backfired spectacularly, further eroding public confidence in an already battered institution.

The Deputy Chief Whip, instead of acting as a voice of reason, has also chosen to play the role of an enabler, diminishing the value of the Senate by blindly bootlicking Akpabio. His conduct betrays a lack of independent thought and statesmanship, proving that sycophancy remains one of the greatest cancers eating deep into Nigeria’s political landscape. If he truly desires to be taken seriously as a Senator, his best course of action is silence and a journey toward wisdom—one that will help him understand the dignity of his office and the weight of responsibility it carries.

Ultimately, this saga is not just about Natasha. It is about the broader struggle for a political culture that respects women, upholds democratic values, and prioritizes national interest over personal vendettas. The Nigerian Senate, under Akpabio’s leadership, is at a crossroads: it can either restore its credibility by embracing dignity, fairness, and justice, or it can descend further into infamy by allowing political thuggery and gender-based victimization to dictate its affairs.

For Akpabio, the path forward is clear—put shame aside, apologize to Nigerian women, and govern with the maturity expected of a statesman. Anything less will confirm that under his leadership, the Senate is not just failing—it is collapsing under the weight of its own corruption, pettiness, and moral bankruptcy.

STOP PRESS

INEC Rejects Petition to Recall Senator Natasha 

                     

INEC Rejection Letter

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has secured a significant victory in her fight to retain her Senate seat as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decisively rejected the flawed recall process initiated against her. By refusing to lend credibility to a questionable petition backed by unverifiable claims, INEC has upheld the principles of honour, fairness, and democratic integrity.

The recall petition, purportedly submitted by some Kogi Central constituents last month, was accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures allegedly gathered from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district. However, in a statement released on Thursday, April 3, 2025, INEC disclosed that only 43.86% of the submitted signatures could be verified—falling short of the constitutional threshold required under Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Furthermore, the overwhelming show of support at the welcome rally held at Senator Natasha’s residence—where an intimidating crowd reaffirmed their loyalty—should serve as a further justification for INEC’s firm stance. The massive turnout at the rally underscores the senator’s grassroots appeal and raises fundamental questions about the authenticity of the recall attempt.

INEC’s rejection of this “kangaroo” process is a victory for democracy and a clear message that electoral institutions must not be manipulated for political vendettas.