Senator Akpabio, who apologised during a full plenary session on Tuesday also apologised to his colleagues and anyone who felt offended by his comment, which he said was misunderstood and misconstrued.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has tendered public apology to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over his recent "nightclub" comment.
Senator Akpabio, who apologised during a full plenary session on Tuesday also apologised to his colleagues and anyone who felt offended by his comment, which he said was misunderstood and misconstrued.
He also addressed accusations of having multiple wives, adding that in his tradition, men are allowed to marry one wife and not many.
Giving his explanation to the senators, he said the reactions attracted by his comment shows that Nigerians are watching them. According to him, it shows that they are connecting with the people they represent in the chambers.
He said following the incident, his wife received over 2,000 to 3,000 phone calls a day.
Senator Natasha represents Kogi central in the Senate. However, the Senate President reminded her that the incident and how people took it up, have shown that she has so many enemies, even as he noted that some of the people who jumped in the fray were people who could not even pass Senate screening to qualify to contest for the seat she occupies.
He said, "We are still learning; even those of us that have been in the Senate for 16 years, we are still learning.
“We will do well to continue to learn but in the course of my talking to one of my distinguish sisters that she should speak whenever she is recognised, I made reference to the fact that we are not in a nightclub where people have to shout above the noise of the music. And the social media went agog.
"I am not on social media but my wife called me that people got angry and they published her number and said people should occupy her. So, she received over 2000 to 3000 phone calls a day and then I tried one of my phones, I realised that it was in the public, in fact the phone crashed after about 3 hours.
"So, I am very happy with the interest generated by Nigerians in what goes on in this chamber because we are here to cater for their interest. So for them to be so interested in what goes on here means that we are connecting with the people directly and it would have been terrible if we are doing all these works and the people were not even aware of what we are doing.
"But the communication was totally misunderstood. Instead of taking it for the nature of what we said that we should not shout when you are talking and speak when you are recognised, they went into private abuses.
“I don't want to say what they did to me because what they did to me, I think I don't merit it. I was telling DSP that he is even the one they should be talking to because in my tradition we marry only one wife."
He added, "They listed so many wives on social media and at the end it looks as if the Senate President had or has so many wives when they know I have only one and I am satisfied with that one. And she is a beautiful and lovely woman.
“I will not intentionally denigrate any woman; I have a wife and I have four daughters and I always pray that God will lift a girl child to the highest zenith in Nigeria politically and in business. I will also want my children to do well.
"So distinguished Senator Natasha, I want to apologise to you if you felt offended. If I had mentioned that we are not in the market, they will I said you are market woman; if I said we are not in the nightclub where people shout above the noise of the music they will say you went to nightclub; if I said you are not in a community meeting in the village, they will say Akpabio says Natasha is a village woman.
“For me there's nothing I will say that will not be misunderstood but the interest generated in the social media, people jumped in shows that you have a lot of political enemies. It also shows I do have enemies, and all of us here.
"We contested elections with people, so whenever those people think that you are being brought down they will jump up and will say all sorts of things. I noticed even some of them that could not pass Senate screenings abused the Senate President, abuse you and all that. I don't know how you took it but I felt I should tender public apology to you over the miscommunication and misunderstanding.
"So do accept my apologies and my colleagues and everybody who could have felt offended, please, accept my apologies. I did not mean any harm and I did not mean what they are misinterpreting in the social media; and I hope this will come to an end and people will concentrate on things that will help move this country forward."
The Senate President last Thursday rebuffed Senator Natasha while she attempted to speak without being invited.
He remarked, “Senator Natasha, you cannot speak without being asked or invited to speak in the Senate. This is not a nightclub.”
The Senate President, Senator Akpabio, apologized to Senator Natasha for his "Nightclub" comment and addressed accusations of having multiple wives. He said that after the incident, his wife receives over 2,000 to 3,000 phone calls a day, his phone crash. pic.twitter.com/phIa0W2o4H
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) July 23, 2024