This is Nigeria

The Nigerian Senate might be trying to silence Senator Natasha

Good morning, Big Brains. If you haven't asked God why he brought you to this country today, there’s a high chance you will after reading this edition. God abeg!

- Margaret

Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 5 mins

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Let’s get into today’s edition:

• The Nigerian Senate might be trying to silence Senator Natasha

• Global institutions are impressed by Tinubu’s reforms

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The Big Deal

The Nigerian Senate might be trying to silence Senator Natasha

We’ve heard from a sitting president that women belong to the “ozza room,” and judging by the disturbing events unfolding in the Nigerian senate; this might be an idea that male Nigerian leaders secretly endorse.

On March 5, 2024, the Nigerian Senate told Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to shut up in legal language. For over a week, she’s been calling out her alleged mistreatment in the Senate, but things really escalated when she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her. Instead of addressing her claims properly, the Senate seems more focused on shutting her down.

Earlier in the day, there was a protest at the National Assembly. A group of women gathered to demand that Akpoti-Uduaghan apologize to Akpabio, claiming she was trying to “blackmail” him. But here’s where it gets weird—videos from the protest showed that some of these women had no idea why they were even there. When one of them was asked, she said she wanted Akpabio to “win the position”. Another protester said she felt led to join the protest and knows little about Natasha and her claims. The whole shabang makes the protest look like a scripted performance rather than a genuine protest.

Inside the Senate, things weren’t any better. Akpoti-Uduaghan tried to submit a formal petition against Akpabio, but the moment she started speaking, some senators shut it down because she breached order 40 of the senate’s rules, which states that “no Senator will present to the Senate a petition signed by him or herself.” Akpabio initially let her talk, but others quickly jumped in, claiming the matter was “already in court.” Natasha denied this, but her objections were ignored.

Then there’s the Senate Ethics Committee aka the people who should be investigating misconduct like this. Instead of launching an official investigation, the chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, dismissed Natasha’s claims completely. He said no female senator had ever reported misconduct and suggested Natasha misinterpreted things. So, rather than looking into the allegations, the committee said, “Wrap this shit up, Natasha!”

Why is this a big deal?

The events of March 5 paint a clear picture: instead of taking Natasha’s claims seriously and giving Nigerians an opportunity to know the truth, the Senate seems to be more interested in wrapping the whole thing up as quickly as they can.

The seemingly staged protest was the first red flag. Protests in Nigeria aren’t new, but it raises suspicions when demonstrators can’t even explain why they’re protesting. The idea that these women might have been mobilized to demand an apology from a woman who might be a victim of sexual harassment is too disturbing to even process.

Then there’s the Ethics Committee. If the people responsible for investigating misconduct are already dismissing the claims without proper investigation, how is Natasha supposed to get a fair hearing?

It’s fair that the petition was dismissed because it breached senate laws but the Senate’s approach towards Natasha’s claims are still questionable. This case should be fairly judged based on Akpabio’s words and Natasha’s but the Senate seems to be choosing sides without any clear presentation of evidence.

Global institutions are impressed by Tinubu’s reforms

The street is saying that Tinubu’s reforms are the weapons fashioned against Nigerians, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is saying these reforms are the best things after fried plantain.

IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath, gave Tinubu’s administration a pat on the back for scrapping fuel subsidies and floating the naira. But even she had to admit that these reforms might backfire if the government doesn’t start handing out some actual relief.

Right now, Nigeria’s poverty rate is 47% in 2024, and inflation is doing what it does best—making sure Nigerians can’t afford to breathe. The chances of things improving aren’t high because government revenue is still embarrassingly low—under 10% of GDP, one of the worst in the world.

There are other countries that have implemented similar reforms but they at least gave their citizens a soft landing. Countries like Egypt removed subsidies but quickly rolled out cash transfers and healthcare support. But in Nigeria, the solution to all our problems is still rice.

Official inflation may have “dropped” to 24% in January 2025 (thanks to some statistical rebasing by the NBS), but the numbers feel like a joke on the streets.

We don’t really give two shits about the foreign institutions that are impressed by Tinubu’s reforms; what we want to see is a drop in the cost of living. Amen?

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The Big Picks

Court Stops Senate Disciplinary Action Against Natasha: Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from conducting disciplinary proceedings against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid To Freeze $2bn In Aid Payments: On Wednesday, a divided US Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's bid to freeze some $2 billion in foreign aid payments.

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This Week’s Big Question

“If you could say anything to President Tinubu today, what would you say?”

Mose’s response - “I have nothing to say to him. Has anybody even heard anything from that man in weeks?”

You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Mose’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.

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Take a quiz before you leave

Can You Guess These Nigerian Female Artists’ Lyrics in 60 Seconds?: Share your results and tag us on social media.

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Play catch up

Missed yesterday’s edition? Skim through and play catch up.

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