Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has escalated her ongoing feud with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, delivering a biting satirical apology letter in which she mocks the political establishment and reaffirms her commitment to integrity and merit.
The letter, which was shared by the senator on her official Facebook page on Sunday, uses sarcasm to attack what she perceives as an ingrained culture of entitlement among some male politicians.
The controversy between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio reached a boiling point after she accused him of sexual harassment earlier this year.
Natasha alleged that Akpabio made unwelcome sexual advances toward her in his office and residence in Akwa Ibom State.
She claimed that her refusal to comply led to deliberate efforts to obstruct her legislative work, including blocking her attempts to raise important motions concerning the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State.
In her letter, Natasha sarcastically apologised to Akpabio for what she describes as her “grievous crime” of maintaining dignity and self-respect in his presence.
The tone of the letter is laced with irony, as she questions the merit-based system of the Senate and suggests that success in the legislature is not based on competency but rather on personal compliance with certain powerful individuals.
“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,” the letter reads.
“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.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan criticises what she deems an inflated sense of entitlement among male politicians, who she implies prioritize personal submission over the public good. She describes her refusal to entertain alleged advances as a violation of an unwritten “law” of entitlement within certain political circles.
Despite the intense personal and professional fallout, the senator remains resolute in her stance. “I remain unafraid, unbought, and unbroken,” she declares in her letter.
The letter also ridicules the culture of quid pro quo politics, which Natasha claims has delayed legislative progress and bruised egos in the process.
Her final jab at Akpabio reads: “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.”
Akpabio, for his part, has denied the allegations, asserting that he has never harassed any woman.
He has consistently positioned himself as a strong advocate for women’s rights, referencing his tenure as a gender-friendly governor of Akwa Ibom State.
