Fact-check: Did Senate President Akpabio Apologize to Senator Natasha over Clash on Seating Arrangement?
Claim: A viral video circulating on social media claimed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio has apologised to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following their recent altercation in the hallowed chamber.
The text displayed alongside the video footage appears thus – “Senate President apologies to Senator Natasha- as she takes back her seat in the red hallowed chambers– just wondering họw Senator Irenti Kingibe is feeling now. My dear, there are certain matters that wẹ must not chuck mouth o but certainly not when Maradona speaks!”
The video has sparked widespread reactions among the general public, particularly among supporters of both the Senate President and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Recall that a few days ago, there was chaos in the Senate chamber involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over a seating arrangement.
On February 20, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan engaged in a heated debate during plenary over a change in seating arrangements.
Akpoti-Uduaghan later alleged that her troubles in the Senate began after she rejected alleged sexual advances from Akpabio.
The disagreement arose when Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned at the start of plenary, but she refused to comply with the relocation.
The situation escalated when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan declined to accept the new seating assignment at the beginning of the session. In response, the Senate President ordered her removal from the chamber.
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Verification: To verify the accuracy of these claims, PRNigeria’s fact-check team utilized social media monitoring to track the spread of the news and engagement across various platforms. The findings revealed that the claim began trending a few days after the altercation between the two senators.
Further investigation by the PRNigeria fact-check team confirmed that the video footage was not from the recent face-off between the two senators as this was not their first public confrontation. Their initial clash occurred in July 2024, when the Senate President compared Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s conduct in the Senate to that of a nightclub.
The remark sparked social media criticism and accusations of gender insensitivity from women’s groups.
The Senate President later apologized to Senator Natasha for comparing her Senate conduct to a nightclub after she spoke without permission during plenary. Akpabio denied intending to demean women, expressed regret over the backlash, and urged focus on national progress while cautioning against social media misconduct.
Conclusion: findings by PRNigeria revealed that the apology footage is actually from a 2024 session in which Mr. Akpabio, in an attempt to correct Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), told her to follow Senate rules, emphasizing that the chamber was not a nightclub where anyone could speak without order. An issue for which he eventually apologised.
Verdict: PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that Senate President Godswill Akpabio apologized to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over the recent clash, is FALSE.
By PRNigeria
