“I took over from Godswill Akpabio as Minority Leader, so I know him and his wife quite well. He (Akpabio) jokes a lot. He’s fond of making little fun out of everything. He loves to make everything light, and such a person becomes vulnerable when someone does that. So that makes Akpabio very vulnerable. In the Senate, I saw what Akpabio and others went through as men. Outsiders often victimised them, and I had to step in to support them.
“It’s difficult to explain what Akpabio and others endured in the Senate, so they make light of every issue. Many male senators face immense pressure. It’s not as easy as people assume. They internalise—receiving calls, having their wives dragged into the spotlight, and dealing with issues blown out of proportion. I have had to support some of them, even going home and telling their wives that these allegations couldn’t be true. They are all vulnerable.
“Regarding the court case, I want to appeal to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to take it out of court because we don’t want women to look emotionally unstable. We (women) need to be strong enough to face the men. Going to court against the Presiding Officer isn’t good. I know she’s hurt, but she needs to handle it better, and I think that should get out of court as fast as possible.” -Senator Abiodun Olujimi, Former Senate Minority Leader
