Senate Committee on Local Content Chairman Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan received an apology from Senate President Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan for rebuking her.
On Thursday of last week, Akpabio warned Akpoti-Uduaghan on the Senate floor, stating that she was not in the nightclub.
While the Senate was in session, Akpabio declared that those who supported a bill should vote “yes,” while those who opposed it should vote “nay.”
The most people said “nay,” and Akpoti-Uduaghan stood up to give her and a few other people’s reasons for opposing the proposal’s second reading while the Senate President was debating what to do next.
“Mr President, we don’t want it to be killed. We just want a bit of modification. We don’t want the bill killed but there should be slight modification.”
Responding to her, Akpabio said, “You see Senator Natasha, in the chamber, you have to be recognized before you speak. We’re not in a nightclub.”
Akpabio, nevertheless, claims that his comment about the “night club” was taken out of context.
“We are still learning, even those of us who have been in the Senate for 16 years,” the Senate President stated during a Tuesday speech on the Senate floor.
“But in the cause of speaking with one of my distinguished sisters on not speaking when not recognized, I made reference to the fact that we are not in a night club where people have to shout above the noise of the music.
“The social media went agog, my wife called me that they published her number and she received around 2,000 to 3,000 calls per day.
“I’m happy with the interest generated by Nigerians with what goes on in this chambers because we are here for their interest.
“The communication was totally misunderstood, instead of making meaning with what we said, they went into private abuses; I don’t want to say what they did to me.
“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman, I have a wife and four daughters and I always pray that God will lift a girl to the highest zenith in Nigeria politically and in business. So Senator Natasha I want to apologize to you if you felt offended.
“There is nothing I will say that would not be misrepresented, I felt I should tender a public apology to you.”
