By Luminous Jannamike

The National Assembly, once envisioned as the hallowed cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy, has descended into a circus of disgrace. Allegations of sexual harassment, tear gas, and paid protesters have stripped the institution of its dignity.

This week, the streets of Abuja witnessed a spectacle that has left Nigerians questioning the integrity of their lawmakers: hired crowds clashing in a Nollywood-style drama, ignited by a bitter feud between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The chaos erupted after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, first on national television and then in an open plenary session—an unprecedented moment in Nigeria’s democratic history since 1999. What followed was not a sober investigation or a dignified response but a shameful display of sponsored protests, tear gas canisters lobbed at demonstrators, and a legislative body more concerned with technicalities than truth.

Veteran journalist Reuben Abati, co-host of Arise TV’s The Morning Show, did not mince words when he called it ‘a pivotal moment’ that exposed the National Assembly to global ridicule.

Abati thundered on air, “It was a pivotal moment for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, by extension, the whole of the National Assembly. For the first time since our return to democracy in 1999, we have the chairman of the National Assembly, the third-highest-ranking official in the country, being accused in open plenary of sexual harassment. What makes it even sadder is that this was done in the presence of a UK parliamentary delegation led by Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton.”

The optics were damning. As British parliamentarians watched in disbelief, the Senate floor became a battleground of egos, with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition dismissed by the Ethics Committee as ‘Dead on Arrival’ due to procedural flaws and a parallel court case.

Outside, the streets of Abuja turned into a marketplace of loyalty, where poverty was weaponised to fuel rival protests. Women clad in coordinated outfits waved designer banners—one group chanting in support of Akpabio, another backing Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Viral videos laid bare the farce. In one clip circulating on social media, a female interviewer confronted a protester supporting Akpabio. “Why are you supporting Senator Akpabio?” the voice behind the camera asked.
The woman hesitated before replying, “Yes, I didn’t see anything wrong with what they are saying. But I don’t know much about the details.”

Pressed further by the interviewer, “You don’t know the whole story. Do you support Senator Natasha?” the Akpabio supporter admitted, “I don’t really know the whole story.”

The interviewer persisted: “So, why did you come out here today?” The response was telling: “I came out today because they said we should come and protest that Akpabio should remain as our Senate President.”
Her words, devoid of conviction, revealed the hollow core of the demonstration—she was there not out of principle, but because she was instructed to attend.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/natasha-vs-akpabio-how-national-assembly-became-theatre-of-shame/