A dramatic family dispute has spilled onto social media, with Richmond Macgrey, the former father-in-law of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, demanding a public apology from the lawmaker.
Macgrey’s Facebook post on Thursday accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of “disrespecting my daughter and family enough” and “taking my daughter’s glory.”
The post was a clear ultimatum: Macgrey demanded that the Senator “publicly apologise and take down these photos,” warning that he would escalate the feud if she failed to comply.
“Don’t forget I kept all the documents you sent me,” he wrote, suggesting he holds sensitive information, and dramatically declared, “The drums are out. We may soon start dancing in the market square.”
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan made a formal allegation of sexual harassment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, claiming he made repeated unwanted advances and tied the advancement of her legislative motions to demands for sexual favours—allegations which Akpabio vehemently denied.
Shortly after she went public and filed a petition, the Senate, led by Akpabio, voted to suspend her for six months without pay. The official grounds cited for the suspension were not the sexual harassment allegation, which the Ethics Committee dismissed on procedural grounds, but rather an earlier argument concerning her seating arrangement and alleged disruptive behaviour.
This swift disciplinary action, seen by critics and women’s rights groups as a clear attempt to silence and victimize her for speaking out, sparked nationwide protests and a major debate on gender-based violence and institutional impunity within Nigerian politics.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is a Nigerian Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
She is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and made history as the first elected female senator in Kogi State. Her term began in November 2023 after she won a favorable judgment from the Court of Appeal regarding the 2023 senatorial election.
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