Akpabio’s Many Gaffes

Having apologised to the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for his ‘nightclub’ comment against her, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio needs to purge himself of unguarded utterances unbecoming of the head of the National Assembly, Ejiofor Alike reports

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, again embarrassed himself and the National Assembly when he made what many referred to as ‘sexist remarks’ against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at a plenary on July 18.

The Kogi Senator had attempted to speak without being given the floor by the Senate president.

In response, Akpabio rebuffed her, saying “Senator Natasha, you cannot speak without being asked or invited to speak in the Senate. This is not a nightclub.”

The incident, which sparked outrage on social media, is not the first time Akpabio would make embarrassing comments unbecoming of the head of a federal parliament.

In a comment that had portrayed the Senate as a corrupt institution where public money was being shared with reckless abandon, Akpabio had in the early life of the 10th Senate in August 2023 told the senators at the end of the Senate’s ministerial screening that the Clerk of the National Assembly had been instructed to send some money to their various bank accounts to enable them enjoy their holiday.

However, when he was alerted by some of his colleagues that the session was live on television, he attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians by making another statement to ‘counter’ the secret he had earlier revealed to the public.

Akpabio said, “I withdraw that statement.”

He continued: “In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the Senate President has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.”

Recently, the Senate president had also thrown his colleague and senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, under the bus after her disagreement with the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, by telling the minister to ignore Kingibe and not allow himself to be distracted.

During the burial of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Holdings, Herbert Wigwe; his wife, Chizoba and first son, Chizzy, the Senate president also turned the solemn event into a political rally by attacking the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalaye Fubara.

Referring to the vanity in the struggles by politicians to grab power, Governor Fubara had, while delivering his tribute at the burial said: “What’s all these struggles about? You want to kill, bury, what’s it all about?”

But Akpabio who was doing the bidding of Wike who is embroiled in supremacy battle with the governor, responded, saying: “So, Mr. Fubara, if there’s nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”

The Senate President received a dose of backlashes for his political comments when everyone was in a mourning mood.

Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State chapter had described him as an enemy of Rivers people.

The party recalled that: “In 2021 when the youths of Niger Delta blocked the Akpajo-Onne section of the East-West road following its deplorable state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, out of sheer hatred for Rivers people deceived the youths and indeed Niger Deltans by hiring some road construction equipment, moved them to the road, raising the false impression that the contractors had moved to site but not long after the youth withdrew from the road, Senator Akpabio moved the equipment from the road.”

The PDP also recalled Akpabio’s alleged role in the harassment and attempted abduction of an illustrious daughter of the state, Joy Nunieh during her appointment as NDDC Acting Managing Director.

The party also cited the “vexatious, sarcastic and ridiculous remark” made by Akpabio at an event in Tai LGA of the state where the Senate president asked Wike to look for someone from Ogoni extraction to succeed Fubara in 2027.

Before he became the Senate president, Akpabio was always on the news for making embarrassing comments.

In March 2013, while he was the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio had reportedly boasted publicly during a South-south zonal meeting of the PDP in Port Harcourt, that he was doling out N1 million to each “hungry” state chairmen of the PDP for them to go have lunch at a Mr. Bigg’s restaurant.

As Minister of the Niger Delta Affair, Akpabio took on the members of the House of Representatives on July 20, 2020 during a public hearing on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“Most of the contracts in the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly, but you don’t know about it,” Akpabio said to a female member of the House Committee who was aggressively throwing questions at him.

An obviously embarrassed Chairman of the House Committee, Hon Thomas Ereyitomi, had to quickly ask Akpabio to discontinue his testimony.

 “Honourable minister, it’s okay, it’s okay. Off your mic!”  Ereyitomi kept shouting.

Akpabio, who named lawmakers who allegedly got contracts from the interventionist agency, later made a U-turn and denied accusing members of the National Assembly of getting contracts from the commission.

Though he received backlashes in all his previous reckless utterances, he got more than he bargained for in his latest comment against the Kogi Senator as angry Nigerians bombarded him and his wife with phone calls after their mobile phone numbers, and the numbers of his alleged numerous girlfriends, were released to the public on the social media.

Reacting, a coalition of over 300 women leaders and groups under the umbrella of WOMANIFESTO condemned his derogatory remarks against the female lawmaker, saying that “Akpabio has taken his pitch against women a notch too far.”

 The coalition also demanded an immediate and unequivocal apology, stressing that “his statement reflects a deeply rooted misogynistic attitude that has no place in our society or our governmental institutions.”

The backlashes forced him to eat the humble pie as he offered an apology to Akpoti-Uduaghan last Tuesday.

Speaking on the floor of the Red Chamber, Akpabio reiterated that he never intended to insult any woman.

Akpabio, who admitted that his phone had been overwhelmed with insults regarding the issue, added that his wife, whom he respects greatly, brought the matter to his attention.

“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman and I always pray that God will uplift women. Distinguished Senator Natasha, I want to apologise to you,” he said.

He continued, “The interest shown on social media indicates that we have enemies. I felt I should tender a public apology to you.

“I do not mean any harm. People should focus on things that will move this country forward. Social media handlers should practice with decorum.

“We won’t regulate social media out of anger.”

Akpabio also denied social media claims that he has “numerous girlfriends,” stressing that according to his religion, he is married to one wife, whom he finds beautiful, and is content with her.

To avoid these embarrassments, Akpabio should purge himself of reckless utterances and choose his words carefully and wisely to reflect the dictates of his esteemed position.