Mr. Senate President of Nigeria, The Moment You Suspend Natasha, You Will Have Defined Your Legacy -By John Egbeazien Oshodi

Mr. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, you are a successful man. You have built a political career that has placed you at the highest levels of governance. You have influence, authority, and a name that commands attention. I do not claim to know your mind, nor have I psychologically evaluated you. But as a psychologist, I recognize patterns, and in this case, there is a clear one.

I humbly suggest that counseling or therapy might offer a valuable perspective—not as a weakness, but as a tool for reflection, for understanding why your leadership has repeatedly found itself in conflict with powerful women. Just a thought, sir.

Now, let’s turn to the moment before you.

Do you really want to continue with this Ethics Committee hearing? Do you truly want to proceed with disciplinary action against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan? No reasonable mind fully supports her emotional outburst, but as a leader, you must recognize the human reality behind it. She has endured enough—by her own account, she has been undermined, sidelined, and excluded. In that moment, she let it all out—not because she lacked control, but because she had been pushed beyond the limits of silent endurance.

You often remind people that you have daughters. Surely, you understand what it means for a woman to reach a breaking point after being ignored and dismissed for too long. If this is truly about ethics, then fairness must apply to all. It must apply not just to Natasha, but to the institution that has created an environment where only four women stand among 105 men.

Because make no mistake—this is the moment that will define your leadership forever.

If the Ethics Committee moves forward with suspending her, it will not be seen as discipline. It will be seen as retaliation. It will be seen as an institution punishing a woman not for misconduct, but for refusing to be silent.

It will be seen as a system protecting itself against a woman who refused to stay silent.

If that happens, it will not silence Natasha.

It will only give her a larger platform.

It will not end this controversy.

It will turn into an international story about gender suppression in Nigerian politics.

This is no longer just a Senate issue.

This is a global scandal in the making.

At a time when Nigeria should be focused on economic recovery, national security, and governance, the focus is now on whether the Senate under your leadership is hostile to women in power.

This is not just about Natasha.

This is about how your entire leadership will be remembered.

This is about whether the Senate of Nigeria is a place where women can exist with dignity or a place where women are punished for demanding respect.

If you proceed with suspending her, it will not be interpreted as a procedural matter.

It will be understood as retaliation.

It will be viewed as an institution choosing to punish a woman for daring to challenge power.

And if that happens, it will not silence Natasha.

It will only give her a larger platform.

It will not end this controversy.

It will only make it a defining moment in Nigerian politics—one that history will never forget.

Mr. Senate President, Your Past Has Caught Up with You—And Now, You Have a Crisis You Cannot Control

Let it be clearly understood that this writer, a psychologist, has no personal or official relationship with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Mfon Patrick, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, or any other party involved in this matter.

My focus remains solely on democracy, human rights, and fairness in governance.

So there is no need for the usual game of finding a public affairs commentator to respond with a defense—this is not a debate, nor is it an attack. I defend no one.

This is about you, Mr. Senate President.

Nigeria gains nothing from those dark ways—the cover-ups, the retaliations, the justifications. Be real, and look deep into all of this.

This is not about individuals; it is about the broader implications of leadership, gender equity, and institutional integrity in Nigeria.

Even if Nigeria is known for a judiciary that is compromised, even if powerful figures can influence some judges, even if the legal system sometimes bends in favor of those in authority, even if you have influence over the police and security agencies, even if any women’s protest can be stopped by those in power with force, the world has taken this matter up.

That is not the issue here.

The issue is that this is not what you, as Senate President, need in these critical times for Nigeria.

The issue is that 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, across print and online media, the dominant story is not about the progress of the 10th Senate but about Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawsuit against you for defamation.

Instead of focusing on the Senate’s legislative contributions, the global conversation is about how Nigeria’s Senate President is being accused of silencing female politicians.

Instead of strengthening your leadership, you have now made yourself a central figure in one of Nigeria’s most high-profile legal and gender equity battles.

This is a crisis that will follow you beyond this moment.

Your History with Women in Power: A Pattern That Raises Questions

This is not the first time controversy has surrounded your leadership when it comes to female politicians.

While every leader faces challenges, the pattern of incidents involving women in governance under your leadership cannot be ignored.

Joy Nunieh, 2020: A Female Leader Who Spoke Out

In 2020, when you served as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Joy Nunieh, the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), accused you of harassment, intimidation, and corruption.

Nunieh did not stay silent. She publicly stated that she had to defend herself from your advances by slapping you.

Her words:

“I slapped him because he tried to harass me. He thought that since I refused to take his money, I would give in to something else. He didn’t know that I’m a Port Harcourt girl. Port Harcourt girls are not moved by money or power.”

How was this handled?

Instead of addressing the allegations transparently, you questioned her credibility, dismissed her claims, and suggested she undergo a medical evaluation.

Rather than responding with leadership, the situation became one where a woman in power was made to fight for her voice to be heard.

Now, in 2025, history is repeating itself—another strong woman in power, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is standing her ground, and once again, the response seems to be suppression rather than dialogue

The “Nightclub” Comment, 2024: A Dismissive Remark That Sparked Backlash

In July 2024, during a Senate plenary session, when Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to contribute to discussions, your response was:

“This is not a nightclub.”

That moment was not forgotten.

A woman in governance, an elected senator, was reduced to a stereotype.

Many Nigerians viewed it as a reminder of the deep-seated bias that female leaders continue to face in political spaces.

Now, just months later, you are taking steps that make it appear as though Natasha is being retaliated against for standing her ground.

You demeaned her then.

You dismissed her voice then.

And now, as she pushes back legally, you are moving toward her suspension?

It Happened Again in December 2024: Ireti Kingibe Walks Out in Protest

A dramatic scene played out in the Senate chamber in December 2024, when Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), walked out in frustration after being prevented from presenting a motion on demolitions in the nation’s capital.

Another female senator, another incident of suppression.

Another woman in governance trying to exercise her right to speak, and another moment where she was denied that chance.

Mr. Senate President, The Narrative Is Taking Shape

The more these incidents pile up, the clearer the picture becomes.

This is no longer just about Natasha alone

This is about the growing perception that under your leadership, the Senate does not provide equal ground for female politicians.

Mr. Senate President, Step Back Before It’s Too Late

This is a defining moment for your leadership.

This is not discipline—it is retaliation.

This is not leadership—it is self-destruction.

Even if you suspend her, even if the Senate wins this battle, you have already lost in the court of public opinion.

And history will not forget.

The world is watching.

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is an American psychologist, educator, author specializing in forensic clinical psychology, cross-cultural psychology, police prison science, social justice. Born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, he is the son of a 37-year veteran of the Nigeria Police Force, a background that shaped his commitment to justice, security, psychological research.

A pioneer in forensic psychology, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology to Nigeria in 2011 through the National Universities Commission (NUC) Nasarawa State University, where he served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. His contributions extend beyond academia into psychological health behavioral change initiatives through the Oshodi Foundation the Center for Psychological Forensic Services.

Professor Oshodi has held faculty positions at Florida Memorial University, Florida International University, Broward College, Nova Southeastern University, Lynn University. He is also a contributing faculty member in the doctoral undergraduate psychology programs at Walden University serves as a virtual professor with Weldios University and Iscom University.

Beyond academia, he is a government consultant for forensic-clinical psychological services in the USA previously served as Interim Associate Dean Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida.

He has published extensively on mental health, justice, institutional reform is the founder of the Psychoafricalysis theory, which integrates African sociocultural perspectives into psychology.

Professor Oshodi remains an influential force in advancing psychology institutional reform globally, particularly in Africa.