History has never been kind to women who dare to break the chains of subjugation, yet it remembers them. From the ashes of oppression, they rise—fierce, unrelenting, and unbowed. Hon. Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan embodies this rare breed of women, much like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, who turned Liberia’s political tides against the torrents of resistance. Natasha’s journey in Nigeria is no different—one of audacity, resilience, and an unflinching pursuit of justice in a society where power is a fortress guarded by men.
Natasha’s story is not just a political narrative; it is an unfiltered testament to the grit required of women who dare to challenge the norm. Like Sirleaf, who rose from exile and imprisonment to lead Liberia, Natasha has confronted a deeply entrenched political establishment that neither welcomes nor accommodates bold female voices. The forces against her are not just political but cultural, religious, and systemic—an iron-fisted establishment that seeks to keep women in the shadows while men dictate the affairs of governance.
When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf first vied for leadership, many dismissed her as an outlier. In Nigeria, Natasha’s ambition has drawn both admiration and hostility. Her political journey, marked by courage, mirrors that of Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, who recently shattered a 200-year precedent by becoming the nation’s first female president. Natasha, too, has boldly navigated an entrenched political system, refusing to be silenced or sidelined.
Like Namibia’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who defied the odds to secure her country’s presidency, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has demonstrated an unyielding spirit. She has endured political intimidation, systemic marginalization, and outright electoral battles, yet she has emerged stronger. Her determination echoes that of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for U.S. presidency in 1872, a time when women couldn’t even vote.
Yet, beyond political struggles, Natasha has had to confront personal battles that expose the deep-rooted injustices against women in Nigeria. Her husband’s best friend sexually abused her, but men of pride without integrity refused to bow in shame for the law to take its due course. Instead, they are trying to silence her. Where is the rule of law? Has A.V. Dicey failed in Nigeria? When did justice become a privilege rather than a right?
This incident is more than an indictment of a broken justice system; it is a window into the soul of a society that still sees women as appendages—good enough for ‘the other room,’ but not for the boardroom. A nation that chains half of its population to the fringes of governance and decision-making cannot call itself progressive. Traditions forbid them from competing in a male-dominated society, religion too, and now men in high places—who should be encouraging girl-child education—are among the chief enablers of these injustices. No wonder a lot of Nigerian men run away from ladies with Master’s degrees or PhDs, leaving them single until menopause. They do not want their pride tampered with.
Renowned philosopher John Stuart Mill once said, “The worth of a state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.” If Nigeria continues to stifle its women, it must also accept its fate as a nation crippled by its own biases. Natasha’s fight is not just about politics—it is about shattering an illusion, an age-old narrative that has kept women on the margins.
Natasha’s vision is clear: governance should be an instrument of service, not self-enrichment. Her focus on social justice, economic empowerment, and grassroots development is reminiscent of the reforms initiated by Sirleaf in Liberia. Like Sirleaf, she envisions a political landscape where meritocracy replaces nepotism, where service is prioritized over self-interest.
The road to political ascendancy for women has never been smooth, but Natasha’s resolve, much like Sirleaf’s, suggests that no obstacle is insurmountable. The world needs more women like her—women who refuse to be cowed by opposition, women who fight not for personal gain but for a collective future.
The great novelist Chinua Achebe once wrote, “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.” Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has refused to accommodate oppression, and in doing so, she has invited a revolution. Her story, still unfolding, is one that will inspire generations to come—just as Sirleaf’s has done for Africa and beyond.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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