Former Nigerian Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio, over allegations of misconduct towards female lawmakers.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ezekwesili expressed concern about Akpabio’s behaviour, citing instances where he allegedly humiliated female senators, including Natasha Akpoti and Ireti Kingibe.
Recall that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had spoken out about the harassment and exclusion she faced in the Senate. She described a pattern of mistreatment that reportedly began after a nightclub incident last year.
In an interview with Brekete Family, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed she had been denied privileges, removed from international activities, and even had her name struck off the list for a United Nations event she was nominated for.
She further alleged that she had been funding her own trips to international events, which she believed were crucial for her constituents, Nigerian women, and the country at large.
Additionally, she claimed her seat in the Senate was deliberately relocated to a less visible area, suggesting an attempt to silence or sideline her.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusations come amid growing backlash against Senate President Akpabio, who has been criticized for making sexist remarks about her. Over 300 women’s groups have demanded an unreserved apology from him.
The incident has reignited concerns about gender discrimination and verbal harassment in Nigeria’s political landscape.
In her response, Ezekwesili urged women in public leadership to stand firm and continue representing their constituents, emphasizing the importance of their presence in governance.
The former presidential candidate also warned Akpabio that he would face consequences if he continued to harass women in public office.
The statement she shared on her X handle partly read: “I tweeted last year that if not for the rottenness of our Judiciary, Nigerians would not have an @Senator_Akpabio presiding over the upper house of our @nassnigeria – the Nigerian Senate @NGRSenate.
“That statement has been given proof by Mr Akpabio himself in the nearly 2 years of his “leadership” of the Senate.
“One issue stands out. Mr Akpabio implicitly thinks that his even more accomplished female colleagues must be humiliated in order for his ego to be assuaged.”
Ezekwesili added, “Is it not a shame that one day it is @NatashaAkpoti , another day @IretiKingibe and yet another day @NatashaAkpoti that are at the receiving end of the appalling misconduct of the topmost officer of our Legislature?”
“And we wonder why Nigeria shamefully places at the lowest neighborhood of the ranking of countries on Women in public leadership , specifically Legislature at 4.4%.
“I encourage the women in public leadership to never ever lose their Voice. Continue to stand strong in your commitment to citizens and prove that representation matters.
“All aspects of data do in fact show that representation matters a lot.”
The former Vice President of World Bank (Africa Region), warned Senate President to be prepared to face what would come to him next time he harasses any woman well-elected unlike him.
“Next time Mr Akpabio harasses any woman well-elected unlike him and representing her constituency @ the National Assembly or any woman at all anywhere in this country, he must get ready. Enough said.”
