By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has written a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, with sarcasm and irony.
The apology critiques the power dynamics and sexism within Nigeria’s legislative body.
In the letter, Akpoti-Uduaghan writes, “Dear Distinguished Senate President Godswill Akpabio, It is with the deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret that I tender this apology for the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect in your most exalted presence. I have reflected extensively on my unforgivable failure to recognize that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind. How remiss of me not to understand that my refusal to indulge your… ‘requests’ was not merely a personal choice but a constitutional violation of the unwritten laws certain men’s entitlement. Truly, I must apologize for prioritizing competence over capitulation, vision over vanity, and the people’s mandate over private dinners behind closed doors. I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their own postcodes. For this disruption to the natural order of ‘quid pro quo,’ I bow my head in fictional shame. Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.”
The letter shows Akpoti-Uduaghan’s stance against compliance and her commitment to legislative merit over personal favors.
This letter has led to discussions about gender dynamics and power struggles within the Senate.
