How Senator Natasha is Fighting Back Against a Broken System: Her Seat Was Earned, Not Given
The brave woman challenging power, patriarchy, and injustice in Nigeria’s Senate.
In a country where women are often told to stay quiet, one woman has chosen to speak up.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has become a symbol of courage after taking a bold stand against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. What started as a dispute in the Senate chamber has grown into a national conversation about justice, harassment, and how Nigeria treats its women.
After she was suspended from the Senate in March 2025, Natasha wrote a powerful and sarcastic “apology” to Akpabio. This was no real apology, it was a bold protest letter dressed in irony.
In the letter, she “apologized” for having dignity, for refusing unwanted advances, and for not playing along with the secret games of power in the Senate. She wrote that she now “understood” that success in Nigeria’s Senate wasn’t about hard work or merit, it was about compliance. She mocked the idea that she had done something wrong by saying no to backroom deals and private dinners.
Her words cut deep, not just because of their sharp wit, but because they are exposing the truth of a system that is designed to protect the powerful and punish the principled.
Natasha’s story began months before the letter. In July 2024, during a Senate session, Akpabio insulted her by saying “we are not in a nightclub” — a comment many saw as sexist and demeaning. It was a public attempt to shame her for speaking up.
Then in February 2025, she formally accused Akpabio of sexual harassment. She said he had made inappropriate remarks and tried to make personal advances. Instead of being heard, her complaint was dismissed. Soon after, she was suspended not for the harassment issue, but over a minor disagreement about Senate seating.
That decision caused outrage. Women across the country took to the streets with signs saying “We Are All Natasha.” They saw in her story their own pain, their own battles with bias and disrespect. Her suspension, especially just before International Women’s Day, was like a slap in the face to every woman fighting for her place in society.
Nigeria’s government didn’t just fail Natasha. It failed every Nigerian woman watching this unfold.
The Senate, dominated by men, chose to punish her instead of investigating her serious allegations. Rather than listen, they tried to silence her. Most painfully, some women even sided with Akpabio, defending him instead of standing with their fellow woman. This kind of betrayal shows how deeply the system has taught people — even women — to protect power over truth.
Nigeria has one of the lowest numbers of female lawmakers in the world. Out of 109 senators, only 3 are women. Natasha’s removal from the Senate, even temporarily, is a blow not just to her, but to all Nigerian women trying to find their voice in politics and leadership.
But the fight didn’t end there. After Natasha accused Akpabio of plotting to harm her during a homecoming event, he took her to court, demanding that the police investigate and prosecute her. He said she was lying and trying to destroy his reputation.
Even attempts to recall her from office have failed. In April, Nigeria’s electoral commission (INEC) confirmed that the recall petition didn’t meet legal requirements.
Despite everything, Natasha remains defiant. She says her suspension is illegal and has vowed to keep fighting for her people and for justice. Her bravery has inspired women and young people across the country.
What she’s facing is not just about one man, or one insult. It’s about a system that wants women to stay quiet, to stay in line, and to stay small. But Natasha refuses.
She wrote in her letter that she believed her seat was earned “through elections, not erections.” That one line says everything. She is not there by chance. She was chosen by the people and no amount of bullying will change that.
Now more than ever, we must stand with her. We must stand with every woman who has been shamed, dismissed, or silenced for speaking the truth.
Natasha’s fight is our fight — a fight for fairness, for dignity, and for a better Nigeria.
Let us not be the generation that stayed silent. Let us be the ones who rose up and said: Enough!