Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, has condemned recent incidents in the Nigerian Senate involving Senators Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio.
Ezekwesili’s reaction comes after Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central, submitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President Akpabio.
In an open letter to the Nigerian Senate, which was also shared on X, Ezekwesili argued that it is absurd for the Senate President to preside over a case that directly involves him.
She made two demands: first, for the swift appointment of an independent investigator to examine Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Akpabio; second, for the proceedings regarding Akpoti-Uduaghan to be elevated by the Ethics and Privileges Committee to a public hearing.
According to Ezekwesili, a public hearing is essential for full transparency and disclosure. Below is her open letter to the Nigerian Senate:
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Letter to the Nigerian Senate
The petition of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan must be independently investigated and openly discussed in a public hearing, with the accused not presiding.
Two Demands:
1. Swiftly appoint an independent investigator for the petition submitted by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Cc: ICPC Nigeria
2. Elevate the proceedings concerning Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Ethics and Privileges Committee to a public hearing for full transparency and disclosure.
Our National Assembly, which includes the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives, belongs to the Nigerian people, not to politicians of any sort or status. This is why the National Assembly is referred to as a public institution. No individual or group should be allowed to capture a public institution for personal gain.
Whenever a situation like that involving Senators Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio arises, lawmakers must realize that the Nigerian public demands transparency and full disclosure. Dismissing serious accusations against the Senate President, as the Senators irresponsibly did yesterday, is a democratic aberration that cannot be tolerated.
“What happened yesterday in the Senate chamber, where a Senate President presided over a serious matter involving himself, was farcical and a blot on our democracy.
It is in the public interest that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition receives the serious consideration it deserves to uphold the institutional integrity of our Senate.
Act correctly now, Nigerian Senate!
