Senator Natasha Challenges Enugu West Colleague Over Deleted WhatsApp Messages

A mild drama has ensued among members of the Nigerian Senate following an open confrontation between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central and her male colleague, Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a post shared on her verified Facebook page on Sunday, accused Senator Ngwu of deleting her comments on the Senate WhatsApp group created for Senators.

In the post, she wrote, “Dear Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West Senatorial District, You will open responses in the Senators WhatsApp forum and repost my deleted comments. Else I’ll bring the discussion to the public domain.”

The Senator’s public statement immediately drew reactions online, with many netizens speculating about the nature of the deleted comments and the issue that led to the exchange.

While Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan did not specify the content of the deleted messages, her warning that she would “bring the discussion to the public domain” suggested that the matter could extend beyond internal party or Senate communication boundaries.

As of the time of filing this report, Senator Ngwu was yet to respond publicly to the accusation, and the Senate leadership has also not issued any statement regarding the matter.

Observers said the episode underscored growing tension and transparency concerns within the upper legislative chamber’s private communication channels.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been known for her outspoken stance on issues of governance and accountability, while Senator Ngwu also represents the PDP under the Enugu West Senatorial District.

Whether the disagreement will escalate into a formal dispute within the Senate remained to be seen.