Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi has announced his intention to report former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, to Igbo traditional leaders following a heated exchange during a Senate committee hearing.
The dispute occurred on March 25th during a Senate Committee session addressing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of s3xual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Ezekwesili, appearing as a witness, was repeatedly interrupted by Nwaebonyi, who was testifying in support of Akpabio. In response, Ezekwesili told him to “shut up” and “compose himself.”
Nwaebonyi, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate representing Ebonyi North, expressed his strong disapproval of Ezekwesili’s remarks during an interview on AIT’s ‘Kakaaki’ program on March 31st. He stated that he found her language disrespectful and unacceptable, emphasizing his respect for women and his past advocacy for their rights.
For a woman to get up in public, and tell me to shut up my mouth and call me a hooligan, a red cap chief in Igboland that has made his mark… this is unacceptable. I am going to take her up within the Igbo traditional leadership because it has never happened,” Nwaebonyi declared. He highlighted his experience as a legal practitioner who has championed women’s rights and won pro bono cases for them.