The senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has defended his confrontation with former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
The clash occurred during a Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions meeting, which was discussing a new petition filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Ezekwesili was present at the hearing alongside Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, counsel to Akpoti-Uduaghan, and Zubairu Yakubu, the chief petitioner from Kogi Central.
The tension began when the petitioner urged the Committee Chairman, Neda Imasuen, to step down from handling the case due to his “controversial” handling of an alleged sexual harassment accusation against Akpabio. The petitioner also claimed that some committee members had ties to Akpabio, which he argued compromised their neutrality. This led to accusations from lawmakers that he was trying to undermine the committee’s credibility.
Ezekwesili also faced criticism for what some lawmakers perceived as her attempt to force herself into the proceedings. However, she insisted on being heard, which led to a heated argument with Nwaebonyi. The exchange escalated when Nwaebonyi lashed out at Ezekwesili, calling her “an insult to womanhood” and telling her, “People like you cannot be here.” Ezekwesili responded by calling him a “hooligan,” further intensifying the altercation.
The verbal clash briefly disrupted the hearing before order was restored.
In an interview with newsmen later that evening, Nwaebonyi claimed that Ezekwesili had provoked the confrontation by calling him a “hooligan” and telling him to “shut up,” despite his position as a senator.
He maintained that his response was justified and stated that he had no regrets about the incident.
