By Sam. Onwuemeodo.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on thursday, March 6, 2025, suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following her sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, Chief Godswill Akpabio. Akpabio had also strongly denied the allegation.
Aside the suspension for six months, the Senate had taken other punitive or disciplinary measures against the female senator. The Senate had accused Natasha of breaking its rules.
Permit me to say this. The Senate, the House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly, all behave or act like cult groups, when it comes to descending on a member. They behave like mafias. Once a member enters into their trap, rightly or wrongly, they chew him or her like crackers. They do not care whether the person concerned is on the right track or on the wrong lane.
Such developments have also continued to raise the concern about the need to build strong institutions. Making institutions to be firm. Suspension is a tool in the Senate. A tool in the House of Representatives. And in the State parliaments. They are yet to become institutions of our collective dream. And even aspiration.
The reason one would be surprised to hear that Senator Natasha never expected or envisaged the action of the Senate against her. The suspension. The Senate had acted on her case in favour of Akpabio. She has gone to Court to contest the action of the Senate.
Nevertheless, hearing is still going on in the court of public opinion. The court of public opinion is still sitting. Still in session. Unfortunately, court of public opinion is somehow. It “get as ibi”. In the court of public opinion, there is no presiding judge. No magistrate. No defence counsel. No prosecutor. Witnesses are not called. No court clerk. No bailiff. No hearing notices. That’s the problem. Do you understand?.
In the court of public opinion, you see today’s jews, Pharisees, Sadducees and the Scribes. People driven by certain factors and some of the factors, strenuous . The reason it’s always difficult to have a clearcut winner or loser in the court of public opinion. That’s where Akpabio and Natasha have found themselves for weeks now. And so far, they have both won and lost. I am talking about Court of Public opinion. Somewhat entertainment galore.
If public opinion is anything to go by, anything to behold, it isn’t in Nigeria. It isn’t in Africa. Not in Nigeria in particular. And certain overtures are responsible. Political inclinations. Tribal jingoism or affiliations. Sexual biases (male and female dichotomy). Call it the gender issue or controversy. Feminine and Masculine. That’s the sorry state the two distinguished senators have found themselves and unbargained. They never envisaged that. They never imagined this kind of scenario. Nobody gets outright justice or outright injustice from the Court of Public opinion or in the court of public opinion. They must share both the “guilty and acquittal” verdicts. Akpabio and Natasha, so far, have lost and won in the Court of Public opinion. The sitting or hearing continues as long as the issue lingers.
The women who were at the National Assembly in their thousands to protest against Akpabio might not know what the issue was. They were not interested in whether the allegation against Akpabio could be false or true. They were only out to serve the interest of whoever recruited them. It does not matter what was true or what was false. For them, Akpabio was guilty as alleged. The danger of court of public opinion.
Akpabio’s wife rushed to Court against Natasha. In going to court, she was only keen in answering a good wife and saving the husband’s name and the position he occupies. She should not have known the truth or otherwise of the allegation since she is not God or a discerner of the intents of the heart or mind or spirit. Do you understand?.
The Senate Committee on ethics, threw away Natasha’s petitions on the issue. The committee had taken position and for them, pointless wasting time to look into the petitions. To them, the petitions were neither there nor here. At the end, the Senate suspended the woman.
The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, had issued a statement in sympathy and solidarity for Natasha. NEF had taken sides with Natasha. For them, the truth of the allegation had nothing to do with them. Akpabio must be at the receiving end. Numerous Individuals had also spoken in the same patterns. Some for Akpabio and against Natasha. Some for Natasha and against Akpabio. Court of public opinion. The ugly sides of this particular court. No court one. No court two. No court three and so on. No room for recusal. Where Akpabio and Natasha have been in the dock.
That’s to say, so far Akpobio had gotten avalanche of those who had discharged and acquitted him from Natasha’s allegation, including the nation’s Red Chamber which he presides. He had also gotten numerous people who had found him guilty as ” charged” or as alleged.
Also Natasha had gotten both those for and against her in all these. We are talking about court of public opinion. Neither Akpabio nor Natasha can get justice. Can get correct verdict. Only their spirits or consciences know the truth. Aside God, only two of them know who among them is saying the truth and who is lying. I am talking about something beyond court of public opinion.
The jews told Pilate to release Jesus for them to kill him whether he was guilty or not. Pilate asked them for the third time whether to release a condemned armed robber, Barabbas or Jesus who didn’t commit any crime. They demanded the release of the condemned armed robber and asked for Jesus to be slaughtered. Court of public opinion. Can be grossly lopsided. Pilate freed the armed robber and released Jesus to them to be killed. And Jesus was killed on the verdict of the Court of public opinion.(Matthew 27:26). Majority carrying the day, whether right or wrong. A situation the two senators have found themselves.
The jews would have also stoned to death, the woman caught in adultery if not that Jesus had intervened. Jesus had asked those set to stone the woman to death, let any of you who had not done what the woman was accused of, be the first to cast or throw stone on her. They all left. In other words, if not Jesus, those people would have stoned the woman while carrying their own burden of adultery on their heads (John 8:7). The danger of court of public opinion.
Jesus had healed and restored the sight of a guy that was born blind, Bartmaeus.( John 9:16). The Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Scribes left the import of that wonderful miracle and was only concerned about Jesus having many people following him.
I am talking about the variation of interests that’s the hallmark of court of public opinion. A lot of diverse interests getting involved and none might be keen in the truth. That’s where Akpabio and Natasha are at the moment. In the Court of public opinion. The tendency of any of them having or getting unbiased verdict isn’t there. Natasha claimed sexual harassment against Akpabio. Akpabio denied doing so. And even went as far as denying having ever sexually harassed or assaulted any woman, all his life. He painted a fantastic picture of an ideal husband and father. And you can’t cross-examine him. Court of Public opinion. Claims and counter claims. Affidavits and Counter affidavits. Do you understand now?.
On Natasha’s claim, a former female senator, lta Giwa said, it’s not possible to sexually harass a female senator. Wife of the President, Remi Tinubu, also a former Senator, said, women should behave well to avoid appearing cheap to men in positions of authority. Have you seen the topic of our chat?. Our discussion. Court of public opinion.
In the case of Jonah, they had cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah, showing he was responsible for the storm or the tempest that was trying to sink the Ship. (Jonah 1:7). Who will cast the lots to know between Akpabio and Natasha who’s saying the truth and who’s telling lies.?
In the court of public opinion, witnesses do not appear. You can’t see them in the witness box. But you see them on WhatsApp platforms, social media networks, newspapers, radios and televisions. And nobody can collect or gather all of them with the intention of tendering them as exhibits or for verification. Even when they are gathered, who would receive them since in the court of public opinion there’s no presiding judge. In the case of Jesus, Pilate presided. But who’s the presiding judge in the court of public opinion in the matter involving Natasha and Akpabio?. Two winners and two losers in one case.
Natasha could also help by releasing any video clip or recorded conversations or anything tenable to give alibi to her allegation against Akpabio since the man had publicly denied harassing him sexually. There is nothing to hide again. With technology, any chat can be laid hand upon. Any love chat. Any romantic chat. Any l love you, l love you too chat. Any video clip. Any unusual eyeing. Do you understand?. Interpreters of love eyeing must be ready for work. In all these, may God help all of us. To remember that, Heaven is real. Hell fire is real. And there’s GOD who’s omnipresent. Who orders the affairs of men and women. May we always remember all these in our dealings. In our actions and inactions. While we continue to clap for Jesus.
