A heroi-comical drama is playing out at the Senate of the Federal Republic. There, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who easily qualifies as the Helen of the Nigerian Senate, is engaged in a battle of epic proportions with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. The tales wafting out of their covens can make a good script in mock-heroic poetry.
Natasha, the principal character in the battle of wills, is the newsman’s delight. She has never stopped hogging the headlines even before she berthed at the Senate. As a gubernatorial contender in Kogi State, Natasha gave the then governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, a good run for his money in the governorship election of 2019. She refused to be cowed or run over by a rambunctious sitting governor.
It must be underlined that Natasha Akpoti has some inbuilt armoury at her disposal. She does not just have the gift of beauty, she has an electrifying presence. She may not be the Helen of Troy who was reputed to be the most beautiful woman on earth, but her brand of beauty is striking enough to draw easy attention to her. Besides, unlike most beautiful women who are self-effacing, Natasha is effervescent and ever-present. You cannot miss her in any crowd. She is bold, assertive and aggressive.
Like Helen of Troy in Greek legend, this Helen of the Nigerian Senate is an object of pursuit and admiration. Her Paris of Troy is Godswill Akpabio of the Nigerian Senate. But unlike Paris who succeeded in taking Helen from her husband, a development that culminated in the Trojan War, Natasha remains elusive to Godswill. The exasperating and effusive chase is what is engaging the attention of the Nigerian publics at moment. Far from achieving a romantic elopement as did Helen and Paris, Godswill is being mocked and derided for his inability to worm his way into the heart of Natasha. She said she has no place in her life for this her admirer. The lover-man can continue to pine away in salacious anticipation for all she cares.
Perhaps, the cold relationship between Natasha and Godswill would have remained unnoticed but for what the lady has come to perceive as an act of spite directed against her by the gentleman after her. Just the other day, an unannounced change in the seating order in the Senate chambers that affected Natasha turned out to be the spark that is threatening to become a conflagration. Natasha rejected the let-down from Godswill with a loud whimper. She must let the whole world know that a witch-hunt was at play. Contrary to the received notion that the Kogi Senator flouted the rules of the Senate, she knew what she was up in arms against. She has disclosed that Akpabio was seeking a pound of flesh. He wants to spite her to get even. Her clear and unambiguous message is that Akpabio’s actions against her are driven by malice and ill-will. She wants the world to know where the rain began to beat both of them.
In the midst of this unsavoury set-up , someone close to Akpabio was said to have lampooned Natasha to the effect that her preoccupation in the Senate has been to pancake her face and wear transparent dresses to plenary. That was wickedly suggestive. The impression this gives is that Natasha is a woman of easy virtue. Expectedly, the import of those uncomplimentary remarks was not lost on her. She has since approached the courts to seek redress for defamation.
Interestingly, as in all mock epics, an absurd dimension has been introduced into the drama. The wife of Godswill Akpabio who should have, like Natasha’s husband, stayed out of the matter, has chosen to dabble into the brouhaha. She has practically shoved her husband aside and has decided to own the matter. She has accused Natasha of lying against her husband. She did not stop there. She has also instituted a law suit against the Kogi senator for defaming her husband. The drama is brewing; and the plot is thickening.
Now, tongues are beginning to wag. Some are wont to say that the easiest blackmail a man faces whenever he has any problem with a woman is accusation of sexual harassment.
Women latch on it easily to discredit men. But many do not think that this is the case in the Natasha Akpabio drama. The argument here is that Natasha is too exposed and sophisticated to resort to such cheap blackmail. They, therefore, submit that there must be an element of truth in her allegation.
Besides, those who are persuaded by Natasha’s accusation recall that the same Akpabio faced the same allegation from Joy Nunieh when he was Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in 2020. Nunieh was then the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. She had disclosed then that she slapped Akpabio for attempted sexual assault on her. Regrettably, nothing was heard anymore about Nunieh’s allegation. It was swept under the carpet.
Some five years after, the same Akpabio, this time as President of the Senate, is in the news again for the same reason. Many now ask: what is in this Akpabio that is making him a perpetual subject of sexual harassment allegations from the opposite sex? Many say that they would have forgiven the Akwa Ibom senator if he were such a fantastic looking dude. But he is not. They, therefore, wonder how high society women like Joy and Natasha should single him out for sexual harassment allegations if he has not acted in ways and manners that betray sexual indiscretion and recklessness.
But Akpabio’s wife, it would appear, is not prepared to let any of these negative impressions about her husband stick. She has dismissed Natasha’s allegations, describing her husband as a very disciplined man. The haste with which Akpabio’s wife jumped into the matter beats the imagination. What drove her into this level of hysteria? This is especially in the light of the fact that she did not raise a voice in 2020 when Joy said she slapped her husband. Is Mrs. Akpabio afraid that her husband’s reputation will plummet further if she does not intervene?
Unfortunately, this intervention of hers will not help matters. If anything, it will complicate the situation. The wiser thing to have done would have been to play the reconciliatory role of wife and mother. Throwing her hat in the ring is like throwing faggots into a blazing fire. From the look of things, we should expect that the story, when it fully unfolds, will be the type that satires or parodies are made of.