By Juliet Aliwo.
A Senate Committee hearing on sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio descended into chaos Tuesday as Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi launched a verbal assault on former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
The confrontation stemmed from a dispute over oath-taking during the hearing regarding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations. Nwaebonyi, in a heated outburst, repeatedly labeled Ezekwesili an “insult to womanhood” and a “hooligan,” prompting attempts to silence his microphone.
The incident ignited a firestorm on social media, with Nigerians widely condemning Nwaebonyi’s conduct as unprofessional and demanding disciplinary action. Calls for anger management training and even his recall from office circulated online.
Ezekwesili, a vocal advocate for good governance and women’s rights, remained composed during the attack, earning praise for her restraint. She has been a staunch supporter of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, criticizing her six-month suspension as a “vicious abuse of power.”
Ezekwesili’s involvement underscores her commitment to female political participation and justice within the Nigerian political system.
She had previously used social media platform X to express her support for senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that the senate had chosen “the ignoble path of vicious abuse of power and desecration of our public institution” instead of properly investigating the allegations against the senate president.
