- In a recent statement, Ned Nwoko peeled back the layers of Senator Natasha Akpoti’s explosive encounter with Akpabio, unraveled the deeper political and personal stakes at play.
- As he reflected on the turbulence surrounding the clash, he revealed Natasha’s unwavering response when he urged her to apologize to the Senate President.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatriation, Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North, has pulled back the curtain on his private conversation with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central, following her controversial suspension from the Senate.
In a statement on Sunday, Nwoko dissected the deepening rift between Natasha and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a clash that has shaken the Upper Chamber.
He disclosed that on the day the Senate Committee on Ethics summoned Natasha for a disciplinary hearing, a session that ultimately sealed her suspension, he personally reached out, urged her to reconsider her stance.
According to Nwoko, he asked Natasha if she was ready to apologize to Akpabio, assured her that doing so would allow others to step in on her behalf.
But to his shock, despite being told she had overstepped, Ned said Natasha refused outright. She insisted she had done nothing wrong, stood her ground with an unshaken resolve even as the political tide turned against her.
Ned Nwoko disclosed in parts;
“The Senate Followed Due Process. After that incident, the Senate Committee on Ethics invited her for a disciplinary hearing. That is the proper procedure. The committee heard from those who were present that day, and all agreed that she had acted in an unruly manner. The submitted report was clear that her conduct on the floor was unacceptable, and she should be suspended.
“I personally reached out to her during this process. I sent her messages because, as a lawyer, I know that a person must be allowed to state their case before any judgment is passed. I asked her:
“Are you prepared to apologize so that I can speak on your behalf? Ask that you be given the opportunity to apologize.”
“She responded that she did no wrong. That didn’t stop me. I told her directly: You are wrong. I watched the video. I saw what happened. The report before us was not about any sexual harassment claim. It was strictly about her disorderly conduc,..”
Beyond Natasha’s defiance, Nwoko also expressed his disappointment with her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan. He expected him to step in and de-escalate the situation before it spiraled into a full-blown political crisis, yet, according to Nwoko, that intervention never came.
“I was also deeply disappointed by her husband’s reaction. I had expected him to find a way to de-escalate the matter to prevent it from becoming a full-blown crisis.
“When he sent me his statement and reaction, I told him exactly how I felt. If my wife were in such a situation, I would do everything possible to resolve the issue privately and manage it in a way that does not cause further division.
“It is even more surprising because her husband has been friends with the Senate President long before he married Natasha. This could have been settled without this level of unnecessary public drama.”, He continued.
Setting the record straight, Nwoko also dismissed claims that Natasha’s suspension was linked to her sexual harassment petition, clarified that it stemmed from her conduct on the Senate floor.
He warned that if lawmakers allowed personal sentiments to overshadow discipline, the Senate would descend into chaos.
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