It made headlines in bold fonts: “Natasha Invites Akpabio, Others to Projects Inauguration in Kogi.”
For many, it was an unexpected twist in the political theatre. Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the fiery and outspoken lawmaker representing Kogi Central, who was suspended in March after a dramatic confrontation with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, suddenly turned around to extend an olive branch. She invited her once-perceived adversary to inaugurate projects in her constituency. Hmm!
That gesture, simple yet symbolic, has been interpreted in many ways. For some, it marks a decisive truce, a rekindling of civility and mutual respect between two strong-willed personalities in the upper chamber. For others, it signals something deeper: a quiet surrender by one or perhaps a strategic victory by the other.
After all, not long ago, the Senate chamber was the arena for a heated dispute over the relocation of Natasha’s seat, a spat that snowballed into her suspension and a storm of accusations. The episode had all the trappings of a political soap opera: anger, defiance, sarcasm, and, of course, the ever-watchful gaze of the media.
Yet, politics is a game of interests, not eternal grudges. Barely a month after she resumed, Natasha’s invitation to Akpabio sent tongues wagging. Was this reconciliation genuine or tactical? Was it a show of maturity or an act of survival? Why didn’t she invite governors or senators from her party to commission the projects?
Whatever it was, the moment drew a sharp contrast in Nigeria’s political landscape. The same two individuals who once traded accusations across the red chamber were now exchanging pleasantries. The same Senate President who presided over her suspension with sternness smiles while reading her invitation on the floor of the Senate.
But beyond the theatrics lies a familiar truth about Nigerian politics: the elite always reconcile faster than the people they divide.
It is often said that politics has no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. In Nigeria, this axiom finds expression daily. When the powerful clash, the public cheers, the media amplifies, and the followers choose sides. We relish the drama. It excites us, like spectators at the Roman Colosseum, watching gladiators duel for supremacy. The elites become the gladiators; the citizens, the cheering crowd.
We analyse their fights in our overcrowded buses, in beer parlours, and at newspaper stands. We argue endlessly, passionately, as if our very survival depends on who emerges victorious. But while we quarrel over whose side to take, the actors themselves move on.
Behind the scenes, in their quiet mansions where mosquitoes dare not intrude and generators hum luxuriously only as backup, these same elites share jokes over dinner. They toast to their children’s graduations from Ivy League universities, plan joint ventures, and seal political alliances and business contracts. The show ends for us, but for them, it is merely an intermission before the next act.
And so, the ordinary Nigerian remains the constant spectator, distracted, divided, and drained by political drama that rarely changes his condition.
Back to Natasha and Akpabio: their reconciliation, commendable as it is, should not be viewed merely as a personal victory or defeat. It should be about the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, who endured months of ineffective representation during Natasha’s suspension. The lesson here is not in who blinked first, but in what the renewed cooperation can deliver for the citizens.
When leaders reconcile, it must translate to progress for the people. A political truce should never be for photo opportunities or social media optics; it should mark the beginning of genuine collaboration in service delivery.
The Senate President, by agreeing (likely) to honour Natasha’s invitation, has shown rare statesmanship. It is not every day that the head of the nation’s legislature steps down from his high horse to inaugurate projects executed by a colleague who once dared him. His presence in Kogi should not only symbolise peace but also serve as an opportunity to hear directly from the people, their pains, hopes, and expectations.
On her part, Sen Natasha deserves commendation for demonstrating humility and grace. In politics, ego is often the greatest obstacle to progress. By extending the olive branch, she has shown that leadership is not about pride but about prioritising the people’s interests above personal emotions.
Nigeria needs more of this maturity; fewer feuds, more focus on governance. Our nation suffers when our leaders allow ego to eclipse empathy. The Senate, as the highest legislative body, must embody decorum and collaboration, not division and drama.
At the end of the day, reconciliation between two political heavyweights means little if it doesn’t bring relief to the people who queued under the sun to elect them. The true victory is not Natasha’s or Akpabio’s; it is the people’s, if only their newfound friendship births policies and projects that improve lives, as we hope to see in Kogi.
