Senate President Godswill Akpabio has apologized to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for his earlier remark rebuking her during a Senate session.
Last Thursday, during a session where the Senate was voting on the second reading of a bill, Akpabio cautioned Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating she was not in a nightclub. The Senate President’s comment came as Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to explain her opposition to the bill without being recognized to speak.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had said, “Mr. President, we don’t want it to be killed. We just want a bit of modification. We don’t want the bill killed but there should be a slight modification.” Akpabio responded by saying, “You see Senator Natasha, in the chamber, you have to be recognized before you speak. We’re not in a nightclub.”
Addressing the issue on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Akpabio explained that his remark was taken out of context. He said, “We are still learning, even those of us who have been in the Senate for 16 years, we are still learning. 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.”
Akpabio emphasized that he did not intend to offend or denigrate women, noting, “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. There is nothing I will say that would not be misrepresented, I felt I should tender a public apology to you.”
He concluded by expressing his happiness about the interest Nigerians have in Senate proceedings, reiterating that the remark was misunderstood.
