Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has been praised for her resilience after enduring a barrage of insults while advocating for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at a Senate Committee hearing on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed deep gratitude to Ezekwesili, describing her as a “champion of accountability” and a beacon of visionary leadership.

“Ma’am, I apologise for the insults. Know you took them for me… for us … as a mother and as a leader. Know that you are a true icon of integrity, courage, and visionary leadership,” she wrote.

Ezekwesili, in her response, reaffirmed her commitment to justice, stating, “A torrent of insults from any source is but a little price to pay in our resolve to see a Nigeria that becomes. Our daughters and granddaughters must never inherit battles and wars we should have fought and won for them.”

Tensions escalated at the Senate hearing in Abuja when Ezekwesili, alongside Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal representative, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, faced a heated confrontation. A verbal altercation broke out between Ezekwesili and Ebonyi North Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, leading to what observers described as gender-based attacks.

Ezekwesili condemned the panel’s handling of the matter, accusing the committee chairman, Senator Nedamwem Imasuen, of bias. She insisted that justice must be served in the sexual harassment case against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and warned against suppressing voices of accountability.

Civil society organizations and gender rights activists have since rallied behind Ezekwesili and Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling for an independent investigation into the allegations. They argue that the hostility displayed at the hearing underscores the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers against women in governance.