In the Senate house, a storm is brewing between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and two of its fiercest female voices: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central and Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Their repeated clashes—rooted in disputes over seating, motions, and perceived slights—have spotlighted Akpabio’s leadership style, with accusations of silencing and insensitivity casting him as a foil to these “Queens of the Senate.”
As tensions simmer, a broader debate emerges about power, gender, and representation in the chamber.
On February 20, 2025, the Senate floor turned into a battleground when Senator Natasha challenged a sudden reassignment of her seat, triggered by defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Arriving to find her spot taken without notice, she confronted Akpabio, who, citing Senate rules via Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno, denied her the right to speak unless she relocated.
Natasha fired back, accusing him of deliberate suppression and proclaiming, “I am not afraid of you.”
The standoff escalated as Akpabio summoned the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove her, though peer intervention cooled the clash.
He later spared her sanctions, but the episode echoed a prior spat in July 2024, when his “nightclub” quip about her speaking out of turn forced an apology amid public backlash.
Natasha’s unyielding stance has cemented her as a thorn in Akpabio’s side.
Senator Ireti Kingibe’s own saga with Akpabio unfolded on December 12, 2024, when she sought to address the demolition of the Paul OSA Ogbebor Estate in Abuja—an FCT crisis linked to Minister Nyesom Wike’s policies.
Having secured approval to raise the issue a day earlier, she was blindsided when it vanished from the order paper.
Akpabio rebuffed her plea, insisting Senate rules capped urgent motions at one per session and urging her to wait.
Unwilling to be sidelined, Kingibe exited the chamber in protest, returning only after colleagues mediated—and after Akpabio demanded an apology she reluctantly gave.
The matter landed with an investigative committee, but not before exposing deeper wounds.
Earlier, on July 2, Akpabio had dismissed her critiques of Wike publicly, and in June, he’d cut short her budget debate grievances, leaving her sidelined and vocalizing her exclusion on television.
The threads binding these incidents weave a troubling tapestry for Akpabio. Social media, particularly X, buzzes with claims of high-handedness and gender bias, noting his prickly exchanges with female senators like Natasha and Kingibe stand in stark contrast to his handling of male peers.
Supporters argue he’s upholding order, yet the optics—dismissing Natasha’s voice, overriding Kingibe’s advocacy—fuel a narrative of control over collaboration.
Both senators, champions of their constituents, embody defiance: Natasha refusing to bow, Kingibe pressing FCT accountability.
Akpabio’s “sins”—stifling debate, belittling concerns, flexing procedural muscle—paint him as a gatekeeper some see as out of touch with a chamber evolving beyond tradition.
As these queens hold their ground, his legacy teeters between authority and alienation, with the Senate’s soul hanging in the balance.
