Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District, has opened up about his heated exchange with former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, during a Senate Ethics Committee hearing in Abuja.
The incident occurred on Tuesday during a session probing sexual harassment allegations involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Tensions rose when Senator Nwebonyi and Ezekwesili engaged in a verbal altercation. According to Nwebonyi, Ezekwesili first called him a “hooligan” and told him to “shut up” after he expressed his willingness to testify under oath.
“She said she was a witness but refused to be sworn in. I volunteered to take an oath and give my evidence. While I was addressing the presiding officer, she turned to me and said, ‘Will you shut up your mouth? You are a hooligan,’” Nwebonyi recounted during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He continued, “I responded that she was the real hooligan. For someone of her status—a mother, a grandmother, and a former minister—to address a sitting senator in that manner is highly inappropriate.”
The Ebonyi lawmaker, however, stated that he has no regrets about the confrontation, even though he maintains a level of respect for Ezekwesili as a woman.
When asked if his reaction was justifiable, Senator Nwebonyi responded, “How can I regret the scenario? I gave it to her. Is it fair for her to address me that way? As a former minister and a grandmother, she should have known better.”
The clash between Senator Nwebonyi and Oby Ezekwesili has sparked widespread reactions, drawing attention to the conduct of public officials and the handling of sensitive Senate investigations.