*Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, explains the rule of the Upper Legislative Chamber on entertaining petitions on any matters pending before the court, as Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili engaged in a war of words at the Committee’s hearing

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Nigerian Senate, in the National Assembly (NASS) at the hearing of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Abuja, FCT, threw out a fresh petition on alleged sexual harassment, which Mr. Zubairu Yakubu from suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents had submitted.

绿帽献妻 reports Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee, citing extant Senate Rules, explained the practice of the Upper Legislative Chamber is to desist from entertaining petitions on any matters pending before the court.

Imasuen stated the Senate Committee dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan鈥檚 petition, as the matter is already a subject of litigation in a court of law.

The Committee also disclosed that there is another pending case filed against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan by Dr. Unoma Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Senator Nwaebonyi, Ezekwesili in hot war of words, name-calling

At the Senate Committee’s hearing Tuesday, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister for Education, appeared as a witness, having accompanied Yakubu, who appeared before the Senate Committee, to defend the petition.

Ezekwesili had joined both Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi , counsel to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, and Yakubu, the petitioner, at the Senate Committee hearing.

However, in the course of the proceedings, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi South, in Ebonyi State, also appeared as a witness for Senate President Akpabio at the hearing.

The Senator and Dr. Ezekwesili, however, clashed over the handling of the sexual harassment allegations.

In a video of the proceedings circulating in the public domain, a war of words ensued between Nwaebonyi and the former Education Minister, fondly called “Madam Due Process” while serving in the Nigerian Government.

She apparently, had complained about how the Natasha’s sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio was being handled by Senators.

Genesis of hot exchanges between Nwaebonyi, Ezekwesili

The video indicated that as Yakubu had made efforts at speaking while Committee Chairman Imasuen was speaking, the petitioner was asked to switch off his microphone.

It was gathered that the war of words between Senator Nwaebonyi and Dr. Ezekwesili had resulted from a Senator鈥檚 earlier remarks that followed the refusal of the former Minister, and other attendees “to take an oath” during the hearing.

While one of the Senators insisted that either they take the oath, or the Committee would end the meeting, Dr. Ezekwesili and her colleagues insisted on not taking the oath, during which Nwebonyi became apparently angry.

‘You’re a fool’, ‘you’re also a hooligan’, Nwaebonyi and Ezekwesili engage in name-calling

As Ezekwesili attempted to intervene, Senate Nwaebonyi, interrupted her in the process.

She then told the Distinguished Senator to 鈥渃ompose himself and stop making noise鈥� at the Committee’s hearing.

Ezekwesili’s statement immediately sparked an outburst from the Senator.

Despite the prodding of Barr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, a renowned legal practitioner, for Nwaebonyi to maintain his cool by not replying to her statement, the Senator rather retorted: “You’re a fool; a fool at 70. You have not changed,” describing Dr. Ezekwesili an “insult to womanhood.”

The Federal lawmaker also told her: “People like you are not supposed to be here; that’s why you cannot be here (referring to her winning an election to become a Senator). You are an insult to womanhood.鈥�

It should be noted that instead following her avowed “Due Process” in addressing the Senator’s name-calling, Ezekwesili too immediately replied, calling Nwaebonyi “a hooligan”.

And the Senator replied by calling her “a hooligan” as well during the Committee’s hearing before the Chairman stopped them before order was eventually restored, according to the video.

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