Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, Gender and Body Politics in Nigeria

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s controversial suspension from the Nigerian Senate reveals the pervasive misogyny that seeks to undermine women in positions of power. It also highlights how beauty, often treated as a currency, can become a double-edged sword for women navigating gendered power structures in Nigerian politics and beyond.

On 6 March 2025, the Nigerian Senate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months without pay, sparking public controversy. As one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, she was suspended over alleged misconduct despite a court order to halt the expedited proceedings of the Senate ethics committee on the matter. Representing Kogi Central at the National Assembly, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is the sixth senator to be suspended since Nigeria transitioned from military to civilian rule in 1999. The six-month suspension came after the dismissal of a petition she filed against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who has faced similar accusations of sexual harassment in the past. The unfolding case has ignited renewed public discussion about the significance of gender in Nigerian politics and the deeply rooted issues within the political system, providing valuable insights into the intersection of gender and politics. 

Women are severely underrepresented in Nigerian politics, holding only 3 per cent of Senate seats and 4 per cent of House of Representatives seats. Ranking far behind many African countries, the national average for women’s representation in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria is well below the West African subregional average of 15 per cent and has declined to less than 5 per cent in recent years. The underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics is not a new issue. The colonial foundations of modern-day Nigeria shaped the political landscape in such a way that women were systematically marginalized through the formal recognition of male warrant chiefs, the introduction of property rights institutions based on patriarchal marriage statutes, and policies that favoured boys for formal education and employment in specific industries. Even during the continent-wide decolonization period of the 1960s and beyond, the entrenched patriarchal political order, along with ongoing social inequalities, perpetuated an environment where independence seemed to ‘change the composition of office holders and not the character of the political system.’ In the contemporary period, although Nigerian women are just as active as men in other areas of political life, such as voting, organizing protests, supporting candidates at rallies and engaging in local civil society associations, women remain profoundly underrepresented in political offices. 

But it is not only about the numbers; it is also about the experiences of the few women who hold these seats of power. The systemic underrepresentation and marginalization of women in Nigerian politics fosters a political culture that mirrors the broader societal culture of misogyny. The rushed proceedings—condemned by many—along with Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, highlight the repercussions faced by minority voices that dare to challenge the status quo. By publicly sharing her experiences in the Senate, this case reveals the various ways in which both men and women perpetuate a culture of misogyny...