BREAKING: ‘I Regret My Choice Of Words To Ezekwesili, She Is Old Enough To Be My Mother’

Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has expressed regret over his choice of words during a heated exchange with former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, at the Senate Ethics Committee hearing the petition of sexual harassment against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, by Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Naija News reports that the clash between Senator Nwaebonyi and Ekwesili followed a request that the former Minister and her team be administered on oath in line with the Senate rules.

Ezekwesili and her team refused to be administered on oath until their request were listened to and met.

In the argument, Nwaebonyi and Ezekwesili engaged in a verbal exchange of words and name-calling.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Nwaebonyi acknowledged that his remarks were inappropriate, given that Ezekwesili is old enough to be his mother.

While justifying his initial outburst, Nwaebonyi maintained that respect is earned, not commanded, asserting that Ezekwesili had no right to address him in such a manner.

Nwaebonyo conceded that Ezekwesili’s public admission of her remarks was commendable.

He said, “I regret my choice of words to her because she’s old enough to be my mother.

“But like I said, it is her action that brought up my reaction. But having admitted publicly that she said so, I give it to her.

“She has no right to talk to me and to talk to me in that way, for me to shut up my mouth, it means that she’s not mature. She got to her level by accident and I maintain my stand. She has admitted publicly and having done so, I commend her.”