The Senate chamber, on most days, hums with routine. But when Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cross paths, the air tightens like a courtroom holding its breath. On Tuesday, October 21, it happened again: a brief, charged exchange over a bill on abortion penalties that ended with the Senate President’s gavel cutting her off mid-sentence.
The debate had begun as a moral question—how far should the law go in punishing those who aid abortions? Soon, it turned into political theatre. When Akpoti-Uduaghan asked to speak “as a woman,” Akpabio ruled her out of order. The tension lingered long after the session ended, reviving memories of a deeper feud that had shadowed both figures for months.
Their rivalry traces back to February, when Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, claiming he had made advances toward her during a past meeting in Uyo. Akpabio denied the allegations; his wife, Ekaette, called them “malicious lies” and sued for N350 billion in defamation. What followed was a spiral: Senate suspension, counter-lawsuits, and a courtroom schedule that now runs longer than a legislative calendar.