Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has apologized to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for shouting her down during a plenary last week, telling her “Senate Chamber is not a Club House.”
Senator Akpabio, amidst the apology today, July 23, lamented that because of that statement he made, his phone and that of his wife have been bombarded with calls and text messages, “most of them insults.”
The Senate President wondered about the interest shown in the social media, which he said “shows that we (Senators) have enemies.
“Distinguished Senator Natasaha, I want to apologise to you. I felt I should tender a public apology to you. I do not mean any harm. “People should concentrate on things that will move this country forward.
“Social media handlers should practice with decorum. We won’t, out of anger, regulate social media.”
Senator Akpabio stressed that he would never intentionally denigrate any woman.
“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman and I always pray that God will uplift women,” he said.
During plenary last week, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) spoke without being recognised by the Senate President.
Akpabio then told her that the Chamber was not a “nightclub.”
Weeks prior, Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT, LP) was shut down when she protested that she was being excluded from the affairs of the nation’s capital.
Yesterday, July 22, a women’s group, Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), knocked Akpabio for his alleged disrespect of female senators.
Senator Akpabio also reacted to allegations by a blogger, Gistlover that he had numerous lovers known locally as ‘side chics.’
The blogger had claimed that some of his ‘side chics’ were celebrities such as Ini Edo, Nancy Isime, Hilda Baci, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Nwanneka Nkumah, and Nnadi Shontel.
The Senate President reacted: “I have only one wife and she is enough for me.”
