In a Senate of 109 members, 105 are men. Only four are women. In a country of over 200 million people, Nigeria has only 3% female representation in governance, one of the lowest in the world. And now, when one of those four women, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, refuses to be silent, the system moves—not to support her, not to engage her voice, but to punish her, threaten her, and make an example of her.
Wow. See what men do when a woman refuses to bow.
Her crime? Daring to exist too boldly. Daring to challenge decisions made without her consent. Daring to demand respect.
For standing her ground, for speaking when she was expected to submit, the Senate has referred Natasha to its Ethics and Code of Conduct Committee for possible disciplinary action.
And who is leading this committee? Senator Neda Imaseun of Edo State, tasked with investigating her so-called “unruly conduct.” The committee has been given two weeks to report back on its findings.
Two weeks.
To decide whether to punish one woman in a sea of 105 men—for daring to fight back.
Even If You Can Influence the Judiciary, You Cannot Influence Public Perception
Even if Nigeria is known for a judiciary that is compromised,
Even if people like you, Akpabio, can influence those who are shady judges,
Even if the legal system bends for the powerful,
That is not the issue here.
The issue is this is not what you, as Senate President, need in these critical times for Nigeria.
The issue is this is not good for you personally, not good for your leadership, not good for your male-dominated Senate, and certainly not good for Nigeria.
Right now, all over print and online media, the biggest story is that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has taken you to court.
Instead of headlines about the 10th Senate’s achievements, the headlines are about your role in a defamation case.
Instead of focusing on Nigeria’s economic and security challenges, the conversation is about how the Senate President is being sued for gender-based attacks.
Instead of strengthening your leadership, you have now made yourself a central figure in one of Nigeria’s most high-profile legal battles.
This is a crisis that will follow you beyond this moment.
A Senate Where Women Are Welcome—As Long as They Stay Silent
This is not just about Natasha.
This is about a nation where women hold only 3% of leadership positions.
This is about a system that ensures women do not hold power—and if they do, they are pushed out, sidelined, mocked, and ultimately punished.
What is the real issue here?
That a woman dared to challenge a male-controlled system?
That a woman refused to bow her head when the men told her to?
That a woman stood on the Senate floor and demanded equal treatment, not special treatment?
If Natasha were a man, would she be facing disciplinary action?
If Natasha were a man, would the insults have focused on her clothes and makeup instead of her competence and ideas?
When 105 men feel the need to discipline one woman, what does that say about the balance of power?
When a woman demands accountability, and the system’s response is to punish her, what does that say about Nigeria’s commitment to gender equality?
When a sitting female senator is reduced to her makeup and her clothing, what message does that send to every young girl who dreams of leading this country?
President Tinubu, This is a Stain on Your Government
This is no longer just a Senate issue.
This is a national and global disgrace.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot afford to look away. His silence on this matter will not be interpreted as neutrality—it will be seen as approval.
The world is already watching Nigeria’s dismal record on gender representation. The numbers are shameful. The barriers to women in politics are overwhelming. And now, this case is reinforcing the perception that Nigeria is a country where women in power are humiliated, attacked, and erased rather than supported and protected.
If the Ethics Committee proceeds with disciplinary action against Natasha, it will not just be an attack on her—it will be a message to every Nigerian woman that this government does not stand with them.
Wow. See what men do.
A System That Protects Men, But Punishes Women
How many male senators have engaged in public fights, used foul language, disrupted proceedings, or openly defied Senate leadership?
How many of them have been sent before the Ethics Committee for disciplinary action
How many times have male senators walked out, shouted down colleagues, or ignored Senate procedures, only to be excused, tolerated, even praised for their “strong political engagement”?
Yet, when a woman dares to resist, when a woman dares to fight back, suddenly, she is labeled “unruly”.
This is the pattern. This is the problem.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Is Not Just Fighting for Herself—She Is Fighting for All Women
Natasha’s lawsuit is not just about defamation—it is about challenging the entrenched culture of gender suppression in Nigeria’s political system.
It is about demanding that women in leadership be seen for their work, not their looks.
It is about forcing this country to ask itself why, in 2025, a female senator is still being treated as a novelty rather than an equal.
It is about making sure that the next generation of Nigerian girls knows that they are more than just their appearance, more than just their obedience, more than just decorations in a room full of men.
The 10th Senate’s Moment of Reckoning
Let it be clearly understood that this writer, a psychologist, has no personal or official relationship with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Mfon Patrick, or any other party. My focus remains solely on democracy, human rights, and equity.
This is about a system where women are tolerated only when they remain silent and invisible.
But now, your words and actions will be judged—not just in Nigeria, but by the world.
What happens next will define not just Natasha’s future, but the future of Nigerian women in leadership.
Will the Senate continue its path of punishment, proving to the world that it is more interested in silencing women than governing the country?
Will the Ethics Committee push forward with disciplinary action, even as the legal battle unfolds?
Will President Tinubu allow this to stain his administration, or will he step in and ensure that Nigerian women are not treated as disposable in his government?
The Senate now stands at a crossroads.
I do not agree with her outburst, but I understand it. That pent-up emotion, that inner cry, the weight of being one of only four women in a chamber of 109, all erupted in that moment. As Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan stood in the male-dominated Senate, she locked eyes with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and let out the truth she had been forced to swallow for too long.
“You have discriminated against me. You have maligned me. You have dehumanized me.”
Then, with the fire of weeks and months of being sidelined, silenced, and diminished, she delivered the words that no woman in Nigerian politics has dared to say so boldly in the face of power:
“I am not afraid of you.”
And in that moment, the room changed.
Because those words were not just for her.
They were for every Nigerian woman who has been told to stay in her place.
For every girl who has been conditioned to shrink herself so that men feel more comfortable.
For every woman in leadership who has been forced to navigate a system that tolerates her only if she is silent and obedient.
Now, the Senate has a choice.
It can double down on oppression, proving to the world that Nigeria is a nation where women in politics must walk on eggshells, knowing that one misstep will bring the full weight of the system crashing down on them.
Or it can step back, recognize its mistake, and take real steps toward building a political environment that does not punish women for existing.
But one thing is certain—this moment will not be forgotten.
Wow. See what men do.
The world is watching.
History is filming.
John Egbeazien OshodiJohn Egbeazien Oshodi, © 2025
John Egbeazien Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria and is an American-based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist..
