On Thursday, March 06, 2025, Afe Annang, a leading socio-cultural group from Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s Annang Nation in Akwa Ibom State, didn’t just criticize the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central)—they called it too lenient. Speaking at a press conference in Abak, leader Obong Blaise Awakama demanded her recall or replacement by Kogi Central, slamming her conduct as unfit for a senator, especially a woman. “Suspension isn’t enough,” he declared. “She needs orientation or a new face in her seat.”
The group’s outrage stems from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s clash with Akpabio, which escalated from a February 20 seating dispute to explosive sexual harassment allegations aired on live TV. Afe Annang sees it as a smear campaign. “A routine seat change—triggered by senators‘ cross-carpeting—morphed into claims of discrimination and harassment. How?” Awakama asked, dismissing the accusations as baseless. The Senate’s suspension, announced March 07 after the Ethics Committee found her guilty of misconduct, doesn’t satisfy them—they smell a political plot to unseat Akpabio.
Awakama was unequivocal: “We won’t stand idly by if adversaries use a female senator to defame our son. Akpabio represents Annang Nation, Ikot Ekpene, and Nigeria—he deserves honor, not this.” Framing the harassment claim—now in litigation—as a tool of “political harassment,” he warned plotters: “A word is enough for the wise.” For Afe Annang, Akpabio’s dignity as Senate President is non-negotiable, and they’re ready to fight for it.
This stance clashes with a growing chorus of critics. Atiku Abubakar called the suspension an “attack on affirmative action,” lamenting Nigeria’s failure to empower women. Peter Obi labeled it “disappointing,” while PDP’s Timothy Osadolor blasted Akpabio for not stepping aside during the probe, decrying the silencing of a woman’s voice. Legal experts, meanwhile, deem the suspension unconstitutional, citing a defied court order barring the Ethics Committee’s investigation. Akpoti-Uduaghan, unbowed, insists she’ll keep serving Kogi Central.
X is a battleground. “We’re not a Banana Republic,” an ex-chief whip tweeted, cautioning the Senate. Others hail Akpoti-Uduaghan as a feminist hero; Afe Annang’s call for her recall has lit a fuse. “She’s shaming Annang pride,” one user posted, while another countered, “This is patriarchy weaponizing culture.” The group’s defense of Akpabio—proudly tied to Annang’s sacrifices for Nigeria—casts him as a victim, not a villain, flipping the narrative.
As the saga unfolds, Afe Annang’s hardline stance deepens the divide. Is Akpoti-Uduaghan a disruptive force or a scapegoat? Is Akpabio a targeted leader or an untouchable patriarch?
Leave a comment