A day after the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio ate the humble pie by apologising to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for comparing her conduct in the Senate to that of a nightclub goer, the Kogi state born Senator is yet to comment on the apology and her acceptance of it.

When a Nigerian Democratic Report (NDR) reporter called the distinguished Senator on Wednesday morning, she initially picked up the call but dropped it immediately NDR reporter introduced himself. Further efforts to get her reaction through her aides failed. An aide said the senator would not comment on the apology because Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is a family friend of Senator Akpabio.

Many Nigerians were concerned that after Senator Akpabio made his long speech and apologised for his derogatory comment about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, there was no formal response from the affected Senator. It was, therefore, being insinuated that she may not have accepted the apology. Another school of thought, however, said it should be assumed that she accepted the apology since silence means consent.

Last Thursday, at plenary, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan commented on a motion without obtaining the permission of the Senate President, an action which contravened the Senate standing order.

The Senate President, in his attempt to correct Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for the misconduct, told her to follow the rules and that: “the Senate is not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow”.

But on Tuesday, Senator Akpabio confessed to his colleagues in the Senate that his family had been under tremendous pressure since he made the controversial comment.

Hear him: “But in the cause of speaking with one of my distinguished sisters on not speaking when not recognized, I made reference to the fact that we are not in a nightclub where people have to shout above the noise of the music.
“The social media went agog, my wife called me that they published her number and she received around 2,000 to 3,000 calls per day.

“I’m happy with the interest generated by Nigerians with what goes on in this chamber because we are here for their interest. The communication was misunderstood, instead of making meaning with what we said, they went into private abuses; I don’t want to say what they did to me.

“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman; I have a wife and four daughters and I always pray that God will lift a girl to the highest zenith in Nigeria politically and in business. So, Senator Natasha, I want to apologize to you if you felt offended.

“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman, and I always pray that God will uplift women. I have four daughters and I want the best for them. Distinguished Senator Natasha, I want to apologise to you”.

Apart from Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senate President, in another plenary session last week, also attempted to silence Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT) a motion seeking to provide basic amenities for fire victims in Karu market, Abuja.

Some weeks ago, Senator Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was shut down when she protested that she was being excluded from the affairs of the nation’s capital.

Social media handlers have since criticised the Senate President for the action, describing him with different insulting names. A women’s group, Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), had criticised Senator Akpabio for mistreating female senators.

The group said Senator Akpabio’s behaviour toward the female senators was not only insulting but also portrayed gender inequality and an attempt to silence female voices in the political space.

Another group in a statement issued by the Chairperson, FLEADERS Nigeria, Ms. Bridget Obi, and Executive Director, Nana Kazaure, demanded an unreserved apology from the Senate President, describing his remark to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as reckless, derogatory, and unacceptable.

Responding to the incidents, Senator Akpabio said he did not intentionally degrade the female senators as being circulated on social media. The Senate President noted that he and his wife had received insulting messages from Nigerians due to the issue.

He also debunked social media posts indicating that he has concubines.
According to him, he has only one wife, and ” she is enough for me”.