Senator Ireti Kingibe has criticised her colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over her reaction to a recent seating reassignment in the Senate, saying she failed to follow parliamentary rules.
Speaking on Arise TV on Friday, February 28, Kingibe dismissed Natasha’s claims that the seat reallocation was a ploy to frustrate her legislative duties, stating that several lawmakers, including men, had their seats moved the same day.
“The Senate is not a place where we are supposed to fight over trivialities like seating arrangements,” she said.
Natasha, who represents Kogi Central, had protested on the Senate floor after her seat was reassigned by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
When she refused to move, she was denied recognition to speak, prompting her to accuse Akpabio of denying her privilege.
The Senate later referred her to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
While appearing on Arise TV on Friday, Natasha escalated her grievances, alleging that Akpabio had sexually harassed her on two occasions.
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Reacting to the controversy, Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, said the three other female senators chose to remain silent on the issue to avoid speaking negatively about Natasha.
“Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules,” Kingibe said. “As women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her, and we were hoping all of this would blow over, as a lot of things do.”
She acknowledged that the Senate was not traditionally gender-friendly but argued that conditions for female lawmakers had improved.
“Yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has been improving, much better than when we first entered,” she said.
“And the truth of the matter is, when we make a fuss and draw the attention of the Senate President, he corrects it.
“Truly, the Senate can do better than he’s doing, but there’s hardly anything that’s been done to us that’s not done to other men.”
Kingibe urged women in politics to abide by institutional rules, saying, “I want women to know we have to follow the rules of the institution we choose to enter, and that is mostly the point of this visit here.”