Akpabio vs Natasha:: What Led To My Clash With Ezekwesili At Senate Committee – Nwaebonyi

Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North in the Senate, has shared his account of what happened during a hearing by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

The hearing, held in Abuja on Tuesday, was meant to address sexual harassment allegations involving suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

However, tensions escalated when Nwaebonyi got into a heated argument with former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, who attended the session alongside Abiola Akiode, counsel to Akpoti-Uduaghan, and the chief petitioner from Kogi Central, Zubairu Yakubu.

During the session, Nwaebonyi made controversial remarks, calling Ezekwesili a “hooligan” and an “insult to womanhood.”

The clash erupted as the committee reviewed a fresh petition from Natasha Akpoti, who was represented by her legal counsel, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.

Trouble began when Yakubu challenged the committee’s credibility, arguing that Chairman Neda Imasuen should step down due to his handling of the case.

He questioned how Imasuen could fairly oversee proceedings after allegedly taking a public stance on the matter.

Yakubu also accused some committee members of having prior affiliations with Akpabio, which he claimed could compromise their neutrality.

These comments sparked outrage among some senators, who saw them as an attempt to discredit the committee.

Ezekwesili also faced criticism for what lawmakers perceived as her insistence on inserting herself into the proceedings.

However, she defended her right to participate, stating, “I asked to be put on oath as a witness. I am a citizen of Nigeria.”

“Compose yourself and stop making noise,” Ezekwesili told Nwaebonyi as the argument between them escalated.

The senator reacted angrily, saying, “You’re a fool. What do you mean? Why are you talking to me like that? I will not take it. You’re an insult to womanhood. People like you cannot be here.”

Ezekwesili fired back, calling him a “hooligan,” intensifying the confrontation.

The hearing was eventually disrupted, but order was later restored. Imasuen later announced that the case had already been taken to court, leading to an abrupt adjournment.

Speaking on “Politics Today” on Channels Television, Nwebonyi defended his actions, claiming that Ezekwesili was the one who first called him a hooligan and told him to “shut up.”

He explained that the argument started when Ezekwesili refused to take an oath, despite claiming to be a witness.

He said, “It started when she was asked to be an oath because she said she was a witness. She said, ‘no she can’t be on oath, she can’t oath.’

“As a person, I said I am willing to be sworn on oath so that I can give my own evidence. I was addressing the presiding office. She turned to me and said, ‘Will you shut up your mouth, you are a hooligan.”

According to Nwebonyi, he replied Ezekwesili saying: “You are the hooligan. For a mother like you, a grandmother of your age, a former minister of the federal republic to tell a sitting senator to shut up his mouth and added that I am a hooligan.”

He insisted that his response was justified, emphasizing that he was standing his ground.

Despite the exchange, Nwebonyi maintained that he had no regrets about his remarks but claimed to still respect Ezekwesili as a woman.

When asked whether he thought his response was appropriate, he countered, “How can I regret the scenario? I gave it to her. Is it fair for her to address me that way? As a former minister of the federal republic and a grandmother, ask her first.”

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had stepped down from the case involving Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Godswill Akabio.