Wahala don burst for Nigerian Senate as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan yan say Senate President Godswill Akpabio dey harass am sexually. Wetin e no expect be say, instead of them to call Godswill to order, dem suspend Natasha for six months! E be like movie, my people!
Natasha carry mouth talk say di man dey squeeze her hand in one kain way wey no be normal at all. E even joke say her missing wedding ring na ‘invitation to treat’ and ask about wetin her husband dey do. Na wetin? As she come dey talk for Senate, dem dey laugh like say na comedy show! Natasha no fit hide her pain, she talk say e no easy to carry di burden alone as woman inside politics.
She drop one serious clapback say, “Please find it in your magnanimous heart…to forgive this stubborn woman wey mistakenly tink say her seat na by election, no be by erection.” Dis one don turn rally cry for many places! Protests don dey happen all over Lagos, Enugu, Edo, and Kaduna with di tag #WeAreAllNatasha, showing say na real wahala be dis matter.
Na only four women dey among di 109 senators wey dey represent Nigeria, and dat one no make sense at all. As Natasha dey front, so many women dey face similar gbas gbos, because di system dey try silence dem. Na dis systematic wahala dey make am hard for women wey wan hold political office.
For di past, na only men dey rule Nigeria, even di governor matter na for men till recently when dem try elect some women. Natasha don show resilience like person wey carry umbrella for rain. After all di gbege and court matter, Natasha no wan apologize. She talk say she go rather take di suspension than bow down to pressure. Dis no be small matter o, my people!
She still dey face more trouble after her suspension, as di government dey try restrict her movement. She talk say na violation of her rights and she no go take am. Dem don stop her from traveling without any court order, abi wetin be dis? E mean say when woman open mouth, dem go dey use di law against am.
As e be now, di matter don show how di Nigerian political landscape dey favor men, and how dem dey use different methods to silence women wey wan speak di truth. For every woman wey dey continue to fight for her right, Natasha dey represent dem all. She no dey carry body for di matter, and she no wan give up.
This fight no be just for Natasha again, na for all di women wey don suffer under di weight of gendered punishment. If democracy no fit protect women? Den we dey talk say e no dey real. Dis na why we need serious change, like international agreements wey go fit safeguard women from all forms of violence.
So, as we dey watch how dis story dey unfold, make we remember say na every woman wey don dey silenced go see herself in Natasha’s story. Na we go rise together, because Nigeria no go fit move forward if half of di population dey stay behind.
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