WHY AKPABIO'S SENATE IS TERRIFIED OF SENATOR NATASHA: THE 2027 WAR HAS ALREADY BEGUN

This Senate is bleeding and Senator Natasha's hand is clean. The politics behind this clash are more dangerous than what meets the eye as Nigeria may be at a turning point.

In any country where democracy is taken seriously, the legislature is not a shrine reserved for praise singers and cowards. It is a battleground of ideas, accountability and opposition. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, too many have turned it into a clubhouse for transactional loyalty, where silence is mistaken for wisdom, and truth is sacrificed on the altar of convenience. What is happening between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio must be seen beyond the surface of gender, ego or legislative decorum. It is far deeper than what the average headline suggests. It is, in fact, the opening match of a political war that will define who holds the pen in 2027 and beyond.

Those familiar with the real workings of power in Nigeria know that every significant political confrontation is never truly about the moment it occurs. It is about what that moment might unlock or destroy in the years to come. Senator Natasha’s confrontation with Akpabio is not just a bold outburst from a Senator; it is in fact, a dangerous disruption of a system that has operated quietly for decades without proper interrogation. Her defiance is not just an act of courage, but an indictment of the political order that regards questioning authority as disloyalty and calling for reform as rebellion.

Godswill Akpabio is not just a Senate President by election, but a representation of the old political class that has mastered the art of self preservation. Those who supported his emergence did not do so on the strength of moral character or legislative brilliance. They chose him to be a gatekeeper of entrenched interests, to protect those who do not want light to reach certain files and conversations. His position is both reward and assignment. In that assignment, his first duty is to ensure that the Senate does not become a threat to the executive or to the interests of those behind the curtain.

The problem now is that Senator Natasha is not cooperating with that script. She is not playing the obedient woman card, or dressing her words in politically correct Abaya. She is in fact, saying what most insiders are gossip but are too afraid to publicly air. She is exposing what others are too scared to even write in their diaries. Her outburst in the red chamber was not some premeditated rehearsals, but raw, unfiltered, and, most importantly, true. It is not just Senator Akpabio that is embarrassed. The entire system is rattled because when you allow one Senator to question the system, others may follow just follow suit.

Many have asked why her confrontation has generated so much reaction, and the answer is simple… she is not one of their own. She did not climb the ladder by begging or kneeling for anyone. She fought a brutal electoral war in Kogi, survived legal landmines, and earned her seat through an absolute bravery. Unlike many others in the chamber, her loyalty is not tied to a political godfather or a compromised institution. That independence is what makes her even more dangerous and a threat. That is precisely why Akpabio and those behind him cannot afford to ignore her.

This is where the comparison with Donald Trump and Joe Biden becomes too relevant. In the United States, Biden and the Democratic Party understood that Trump was not just a political rival, but a threat to their hold on power. So they mobilised every available institutional tool, media, medicals, courts, party structure in a bid to isolate him. If Biden had not won in 2020, Trump’s return would have buried several people politically and legally. The survival instinct kicked in, and that is exactly what is playing out now in the Nigerian Senate.

Make no mistake, Senator Natasha’s boldness has unsettled some powerful forces. If she succeeds in drawing public attention to the rot within the Senate or the excesses of Akpabio’s leadership, it will embolden other dissenters. It may encourage journalists to dig deeper. It may cause anti-corruption agencies to look more closely at matters that have been gathering dust. This is why she is being painted as disrespectful, unstable and emotional. The goal is to isolate her, to discredit her voice, and to remind others of what happens when you step out of line.

However, there is another path this can take. If she is silenced, it will send a chilling signal to younger politicians, especially women, that the system cannot be challenged. It will reinforce the message that power belongs to those who protect the interests of the political cartel. It will declare that the Senate is not a place for honesty or reform but for ritual silence and scripted loyalty. That is the real danger, and one that the public must understand.

The 2027 elections are not far. What we are witnessing now is not just a clash of personalities but a rehearsal for the larger battle. Those who speak today may either be silenced or elevated tomorrow. Those who abuse power today may find themselves answering questions under a new government. The same Senate that protects Akpabio today may turn against him once the wind changes. This is Nigeria and nothing is permanent, except for interest.

Senator Natasha may not have a battalion behind her, but she has something even far more dangerous and that is the public’s attention. In a country where the people are used to betrayal and manipulation, a single act of genuine defiance can travel far. She must now build on that, not with noise or emotion, but with strategy and evidence. If she combines her courage with calculation, she will not only survive this moment, she will shape the next chapter of Nigerian politics.

Those dismissing this confrontation as a woman overreaching herself are missing the plot. This has nothing to do with gender but everything to do with power. Those who understand Nigerian politics know that when power feels threatened, it fights back which is never with arguments, but with weapons… political, legal and sometimes, even physical.

This is a battle of survival for Senator Natasha, but it is also a moment of reckoning for Godswill Akpabio. He may crush her today with procedure and majority votes, but history has a long memory, and power has a short expiry date. When 2027 comes, the very things she is exposing may become the tools others use to pull the carpet from under his feet.

Let no one be deceived. The real war has begun, and it is not being fought with guns or protests. It is being fought in chambers, in courts, in newsrooms, in WhatsApp groups, and on the lips of voters. Those who are watching should watch well, because this is not a quarrel. This is politics at its highest level.

And in politics, it is not always the strongest who wins. It is the most prepared.

Written By: ILUO DePOET

Lawyer | Political Analyst | Writer | Speaker | Pan-African