Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba walked out of Senate on Tuesday, March 18 afternoon after she declined to read a prescribed apology following her 30-day suspension from the House.
Senator Orwoba served her suspension — which commenced on 12th February 2025 and lapsed on 13th March 2025 — for breaching the Parliamentary Code of Conduct.
According to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Senator Orwoba was supposed to tender an apology to the Senate before being admitted bac.
“In accordance with the resolutions passed on September 20, 2023, and February 26, 2025, Senator Orwoba is required to tender an apology to the Senate before being admitted to the Senate. She is required to read verbatim without any addition, omission or amendment. Additionally, the apology shall not be followed by any comment by the senator or any other senator,” Kingi said.
However, when Senator Orwoba stood to apologise, she opted to read her own apology, instead of the prescribed apology.
“That is not the apology as prescribed by the Senate in the report… The Senate actually came up with the wording of the apology. It is not open to you to craft or word your apology,” Speaker Kingi told the Senator, as he read out the apology prescribed by the Senate.
“Mr Speaker, I have apologised before, and I have no problem reading a prescribed apology. I just want to draw to your attention that we currently have a court case, and I have been advised that the prescribed apology, in the wording that it has been put, is self incriminating and it undermines my right to a fair process with the current court proceedings,” Senator Orwoba explained to the Speaker why she declined to read out the Senate’s apology, and went on to read her own apology.
“I don’t know how else to appeal but I have sat out my suspension without pay. I have suffered the consequences of reporting the issue and continue to do so and I’m okay with that. I don’t understand in whose interest it is for a prescribed apology with a self-incriminating sentence that puts me in an issue. I appeal to my colleagues, I don’t know how to say it.”
She added: “I don’t know how else to appeal but I have sat out my suspension without pay. I have suffered the consequences of reporting the issue and continue to do so and I’m okay with that. I don’t understand in whose interest it is for a prescribed apology with a self-incriminating sentence that puts me in an issue. I appeal to my colleagues, I don’t know how to say it.”
It was at this point that Speaker Kingi gave her the two options. “You either read as prescribed, walk in and take your seat, or you don’t read as prescribed and you walk out until such a time that you will be ready to read the apology as prescribed.”
In return, Senator Orwoba maintained her stance. “Having heard your advice, noting that it is attached to my work, I stand by my dignity, I have no option but to walk away from my duties. As it stands, I continue to stand by my statements. It is truly unfair that an incriminating statement is put in the apology.”
“This being the Upper House, I must say I am disappointed. I cannot trade my salary for something that has not been investigated. I can stay without my salary and the position. It is unfair that someone who reported a matter is been taken through this,” an emotional Orwoba said as she took her leave.
The Senator would later post a lengthy statement on her social media pages, explaining why she could not read the prescribed apology verbatim.
“This apology, as it stands, infringes upon my fundamental right to protection from self-incrimination and undermines my right to fair process,” her statement started.
She says that the allegations of sexual harassment she raised against her colleagues are yet to be investigated.
According to her, Speaker Kingi and the Senate’s Administration are fully aware that she has an ongoing court process, which would be directly impacted by the prescribed apology.
“By forcing me to issue a prescribed apology, the senate is compelling me to make false statements that can be used against me in the ongoing court and in future. This situation exemplifies the lengths to which perpetrators will go to manipulate power and processes in order to silence victims and whistleblowers.”
