Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on March,18, 2025 declined to read an apology that was prepared for her by the Senate weeks after she was suspended.
As a result, a confrontation escalated between her and the Senate Speaker Amason Kingi which ended with Orwoba walking out of the Senate without apologizing as had been required.
According to the Senate Speaker, Orwoba’s return was to apologize after her suspension was reduced to thirty days.
“In accordance with the resolutions passed on September 30, 2023, and on February 26, 2025, Senator Gloria Orwoba is expected to tender an apology to the Senate, Honorable Senators, the Clerk of the Senate, and the Secretariat of Parliament before being admitted to the Senate” Kingi stated.
The Speaker therefore invited Senator Orwoba to tender an apology as was prescribed on the report without omitting or adding anything.
“Mr Speaker, I, Senator Gloria Orwoba, hereby tender my unreserved apology to this Senate. I undertake that I shall abide by the responsibilities of leadership as set out in the constitution, the Leadership and Integrity Act 2012, and the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act 2017. I therefore beseech to be admitted to the chamber. I thank you” she read.
However, Kingi was dissatisfied as he revealed that Orwoba had skipped several sections of the apology that had been approved by the Senate Plenary.
According to the prescribed apology, Orwoba was supposed to include a clause that acknowledged she had acted in a manner that constituted a breach of Parliamentary privilege which reflected adversely and integrity of Parliament.
But senator stated that she couldn’t read the section as it would be self-incriminatory on her pending court case.
The speaker therefore gave her an ultimatum of reading the prescribed apology or go think about it and come back any time or day.
Orwoba on the other hand chose to walk out instead.
