FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe Criticizes Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Over Senate Seat Dispute
Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has weighed in on the controversy involving her Kogi Central counterpart, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that Natasha was wrong for not following Senate rules on seating arrangements.
Kingibe, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, noted that while the Senate is not entirely “gender-friendly,” it has improved over time, and Akpoti-Uduaghan has enjoyed more privileges than the other three female senators.
Speaking on Arise News on Friday, Kingibe revealed that she reached out to Natasha after hearing about the dispute but never received a response.
“I promptly called her, but she didn’t return my calls. Later, her husband told me she had traveled to Singapore,” Kingibe said.
Kingibe acknowledged that while the Senate could do better in accommodating women, the real issue is not gender bias but opposition politics.
“It’s more appropriate to say that the Senate is not opposition-friendly,” she said.
On the allegations of sexual harassment Natasha leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kingibe distanced herself, stating that she was not close enough to Akpabio to comment on such matters.
“Three of us [female senators] had no prior relationship with Akpabio before coming to the Senate, unlike Senator Natasha,” she said.
Kingibe also disclosed a conversation in which Natasha claimed Akpabio invited her to a hotel for a discussion.
“I told her, ‘You only meet Senators in offices,’” Kingibe stated.
She further defended the silence of the other female senators, explaining that they refrained from speaking publicly against Natasha to avoid escalating tensions.
“The reason why the three of us are silent is that silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules,” she concluded.
