By Adé Yẹmí
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi has stirred a storm with a bold call to remove female politicians who, in his words, “disrespect” male colleagues in the corridors of power.
Speaking at a grassroots empowerment event in Abakaliki Local Government Area, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate said such behaviour threatens women’s future in Nigerian leadership.
“I champion women’s emancipation, but men’s dignity must not be undermined,” he said, alleging that some female lawmakers have openly told their male counterparts to “shut up” during parliamentary proceedings. “Those not with us should be shown the way out of power and politics,” he added.
The remarks sparked swift backlash from civil society groups who labelled the comments as sexist and damaging to the nation’s push for gender equity.
Others, however, defended the senator for standing up for what they see as parliamentary decency.
Beyond the controversy, Nwebonyi used the event to highlight development efforts in his senatorial district.
He distributed farming inputs to over 2,000 farmers and launched a fifty million naira scholarship scheme for 225 students.
He also encouraged youths to turn to agriculture, describing it as the key to surviving Nigeria’s shrinking job market.
With his comments and gestures, Nwebonyi has again underlined the tightrope Nigerian leaders often walk between development politics and cultural sensitivity.
