We Are All Natasha”: Power, Gender, and the Political Battle Shaking Nigeria’s Senate

When you think of political drama, Washington or Westminster might come to mind. But in early 2025, a fierce and deeply personal battle erupted in Nigeria’s Senate chambers, one that has since ignited national protests, legal challenges, and a growing feminist movement. At the center of it all? A fearless woman named Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

What began as a dispute over seating has spiraled into something far larger: a fight over sexual harassment, abuse of power, and gender inequality.

Senator Natasha Akpoti isn’t your average politician. A lawyer, engineer, and social entrepreneur, she made history in 2023 when she was elected to represent Kogi Central in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber—the Senate. Her election was hard-fought and symbolic: a woman winning in a male-dominated political space, in a country where less than 5% of lawmakers are women.

It all began during a Senate session in February 2025. Senator Akpoti had just returned from maternity leave. She found that her seat assigned to her as a member of an opposition-aligned party had been unceremoniously reassigned due to shifting political alliances. When she challenged the move, a tense exchange unfolded. Akpabio the senate president allegedly instructed security to “take her out of the Senate.” Akpoti, unfazed, refused to budge and famously declared: “You can’t bully me. I’m not afraid of you.”

Video clips of the incident went viral, sparking outrage across Nigerian social media and raising questions about how women in politics are treated even at the highest levels. Shortly after the incident, things escalated dramatically. Senator Akpoti publicly accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment, claiming that he had previously made inappropriate advances and suggested her legislative motions would pass only if she “took care of him” personally. She also alleged he tried to hold her hand during a private meeting and made suggestive comments. Akpabio denied all allegations, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.” He insisted that he had “never at any time” harassed the senator and suggested she was trying to distract from her own misconduct.

Rather than investigating the allegations, the Nigerian Senate moved to suspend Akpoti for six months, citing her “unruly behavior” during plenary. Her access to her office, allowances, and security detail was revoked despite a court order instructing the Senate not to take such disciplinary action without due process. To many Nigerians, it looked less like discipline and more like retaliation.

The backlash was immediate. Feminist activists and civil society groups across the country launched the #WeAreAllNatasha campaign, demanding her reinstatement and an independent investigation into her harassment claims. Protests erupted outside the National Assembly. Influential Nigerian women including former education minister Oby Ezekwesili condemned the Senate’s actions as unconstitutional and emblematic of the hostility women face in power. Legal advocacy groups like SERAP (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project) called the suspension illegal and vowed to pursue justice through the courts.

On Monday, June 30, 2025, Senator Akpoti faced new legal challenges when she appeared in court to answer cybercrime and defamation charges filed by the federal government. The charges accused her of transmitting false information electronically particularly her public claim that Akpabio and a former state governor conspired to endanger her life.

Here’s what happened:

• She was formally arraigned on six counts under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

• She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

• The court granted her bail on self-recognizance and scheduled the trial to begin on September 22, 2025.

This comes after a separate arraignment on defamation charges earlier in June, where she also received bail. Observers see these legal cases as an attempt to silence her. But the courts have so far upheld her rights, refusing to grant arrest warrants and emphasizing due process, offering some hope for impartial justice.

This isn’t just a Nigerian story. It’s a universal story about what happens when powerful institutions close ranks to protect themselves and punish those who speak out. It’s about the challenges women face when they climb into male-dominated spaces. It’s about impunity in politics, where allegations of misconduct are swept aside when the accused holds enough sway. And it’s about how democracy itself is tested, not only by elections, but by how a country treats dissenters, whistleblowers, and women who refuse to stay silent.

Senator Natasha Akpoti’s ordeal isn’t over. But her willingness to speak the truth against enormous odds has already left a mark.